Catharine Macaulay (née Sawbridge)
- Artist: Robert Edge Pine
- Date: circa 1775
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 54 in. x 41 1/4 in. (1372 mm x 1048 mm)
- Portrays: Catharine Macaulay (née Sawbridge)
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is a large oil portrait painted in about 1775 by Robert Edge Pine. You’ll see Catharine Macaulay standing on a plinth, her arms resting in a calm pose. She wears long robes that hint at classical elegance and a deep‑purple sash that would have been worn by an elected Roman senator – a clear nod to republican ideals of the time.
In one hand she holds a letter; the seal mentions Rev Dr Thomas Wilson, probably the patron who commissioned the work. The painter’s brushwork gives the fabric softness and the subtle sheen on her hair.
Macaulay was a pioneering British historian and early feminist. She wrote 17 portraits of herself, each carrying her signature engagement with representative government at the dawn of the American Revolution.
See it in person
Catharine Macaulay (née Sawbridge) is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
