Uvedale Tomkyns Price and Members of His Family - Bartholomew Dandridge

A mid-eighteenth-century conversation piece by Bartholomew Dandridge, depicting the Price family in a pastoral garden setting.

This conversation piece by Bartholomew Dandridge depicts Uvedale Tomkyns Price alongside his family in a park setting. The composition is characteristic of the mid-eighteenth-century British tradition, where figures are arranged in a relaxed, social manner rather than in formal, static poses. The scene includes a group of figures gathered near a water feature, where two swans glide, adding a sense of pastoral calm to the arrangement.

Dandridge, a London-born painter, was active during the early Georgian period. His work often features the soft, muted palette typical of the era, with a focus on the textures of silk garments and the subtle interplay of light across the figures. The painting captures the social hierarchy and domestic life of the landed gentry, with the figures interacting through gestures and glances. The inclusion of a young attendant in the background provides a specific historical context regarding the domestic arrangements of the period.

The figures are dressed in the fashion of the 1730s, with the men in frock coats and the women in gowns featuring delicate lace details. The background, while somewhat obscured by the passage of time and the artist's preference for atmospheric depth, suggests a manicured garden, a common backdrop for such family portraits. The painting remains a record of the Price family, reflecting the aesthetic preferences of the British elite during the reign of George II. The work demonstrates the artist's ability to manage a large group portrait while maintaining individual characterisation within the collective scene.