Portrait of a lady wearing and ivory silk gown seated in a landscape, holding a sprig of orange blossom. Circa 1715.

This portrait is attributed to Adriana (previously known as Maria) Verelst (1680-1744) who was born in Vienna and was the daughter of Cecilia Fend and the artist Herman Verelst (1641-1690), a member of the Verelst family of artists. The family moved to London when she was aged three following the Turkish siege of Vienna and later she became a pupil of her father. She started painting portraits professionally at age fourteen painting William Wentworth, 2^nd Earl of Strafford (1626-1695).

Other known works include several portraits for Welbeck Abbey, as well as thirteen portraits for James Brydges, 1^st Duke of Chandos (1673-1744) which were likely intended for Cannons House, completed in 1724 and his London home in St James’s Square.

Adriana went on to work alongside other well-known artists including Charles Jervas, William Aikman and John Thornhill. Her portraits were in the similar fashionable 18th style as Godfrey Kneller and Michael Dahl and much of her work remains misattributed to these and other male artists from the period. 

There are particular stylistic techniques that Adriana liked to use, such as more pronounced and brighter highlights in clothes and drapery and the care she took in placing her sitters within an interesting architectural or garden setting.

Adriana was well educated and spoke a number of different languages which no doubt helped her secure patronage. According to an anecdote published in 1730 Maria was once at Drury Lane theatre when she heard some gentlemen nearby praising her in German, she then turned to them and began conversing in the same language before the gentleman switched to Latin, Adriana proceeded in Latin and the gentlemen were so impressed that they commissioned their portraits, and through their connections Adriana supposedly built up her list of clientele.