An unfinished oil portrait of Eliza Soane by John Jackson, capturing the sitter with a small dog in a formal setting.

This portrait depicts Eliza Soane, the wife of the architect Sir John Soane. John Jackson, a contemporary of Sir Thomas Lawrence, was known for his ability to capture the likeness of his sitters with a direct, painterly approach. The work is notable for its unfinished state, which provides a view into the artist's technical process. The brushwork remains visible in the drapery and the background, revealing the initial layers of pigment and the structure of the composition before the final glazes were applied.

Eliza Soane is shown seated, wearing a white dress and a head covering, with a small dog resting on her lap. The composition is framed by a heavy red curtain and a classical column, elements that reflect the formal portrait conventions of the early nineteenth century. The inclusion of the dog adds a domestic element to the otherwise formal setting. Jackson worked from a pencil sketch by the sculptor John Flaxman and a miniature portrait to complete the likeness, as Eliza Soane had passed away by the time this commission was undertaken. The contrast between the detailed rendering of the face and the looser, more gestural treatment of the clothing and background creates a sense of immediacy. This piece offers a glimpse into the collaborative nature of portraiture during the Regency period, where artists often relied on secondary sources to reconstruct the image of a deceased subject for their families.