Portrait of Nelly O'Brien by Sir Joshua Reynolds

This beautiful portrait of the famous 18th Century London courtesan Nelly O'Brien was painted by her close friend, the artist Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1762.

Reynolds painted Nelly several times between 1760 and 1767 and there has been some speculation that this picture was commissioned by Frederick St.John 2nd Viscount Bolingbroke, as evidenced by Friends of Lydiard Park historian Frances Bevan in her series Good Gentlewomen which can be found on The Friends of Lydiard Park website. In it she points out that Frederick had also commissioned a portrait of his wife, lady Diana (Spencer) in 1762 and she quotes Horace Walpole, the Whig politician, art historian and society gossip:

“Lord Bolingbroke said to him [Reynolds] ‘You must give the eyes something of Nelly O’Brien, or it will not do.’ As he has given Nelly something of his wife’s, it was but fair to give her something of Nelly’s; and my Lady will not throw away the present!”

Frederick was a notorious womaniser and his marriage to Lady Diana ended in a sensational and much reported divorce in 1768, ironically on the grounds of her adultery. A 19th Century copy of Diana's portrait by Reynolds hangs in the State Dressing Room at Lydiard House.

See: https://www.friendsoflydiardpark.org.uk/news/blog-post/nellie-obrien.