Frances Samuel arrived in Sydney, Australia in 1832 with her widowed mother Lydia; younger brother Saul; and an uncle, Abraham Lyons to join her other uncles Samuel and Saul Lyons, both of whom had become prominent businessmen in the 1820s. Saul Lyons had come to Sydney a free settler; Samuel Lyons had arrived as a convict after receiving a life sentence for theft in 1814. Newspaper references about Frances indicate that she enjoyed a genteel existence in Australia for several years before returning to England with her mother in March 1841.
She appears in this portrait by English artist Maurice Felton as a light-skinned young woman with dark hair styled in ringlets framing her face and pulled back. She wears a dark, possibly velvet, off-the-shoulder gown and a long thin gold necklace. Her expression is serious and composed, and her gaze is directed to our left. The background is a muted, dark brown. The overall feel is one of quiet dignity and sophistication.
Felton, artist and doctor, traveled to Australia as the surgeon on a ship called the Royal Admiral which arrived in Sydney in September 1839. Felton enjoyed more success as a painter than a medical practitioner earning praise from the "The Australian" newspaper for his portraiture, "for faithfulness of likeness and brilliancy of execution, they rival the productions of many of our best artists at home." His work soon attracted the attention of arts patrons. In late 1841, Felton exhibited a number of portraits and "some beautiful views of the interior of the country." with a lottery, for one pound, whereby subscribers that won could own an example of "Mr Felton’s talents in the delightful art of painting." He passed away shortly thereafter at 39 in March 1842. Meanwhile, Frances Samuel returned to England that same month. She lived life there with her first husband and child passing away by 1861 and marrying again. She lived in Earl's Court until around 1900.
"Miss Frances Samuel" by Maurice Felton (English) - Oil on canvas / 1840 - National Portrait Gallery (Canberra, Australia) #WomenInArt #art #Felton #MauriceFelton #artwork #PortraitofaWoman #AustralianArt #NPG #NationalPortraitGallery #OilPainting #artText #EnglishArtist #BlueskyArt #1840s #hair