Margaret Carpenter's portraits — of men, women, and children — were mostly in oils, but many in chalks and, more rarely, watercolours. Some were engraved. She also painted genre subjects, including sixty-three exhibited at the British Institution. Although influenced by Reynolds and Lawrence, her style shows a more straightforward reality and energy, with a warmth of character. Her command of drawing is evident from her small 10 × 8 in. panels up to the largest whole-length canvasses 96 × 57 in. — Richard J. Smith
Recognition was ever-present during her life, but has been sadly absent since her death. — Jonathan Hajdamach
Biographical Material
Works
Bibliography
Clayton, Ellen Creathorne. English Female Artists. Vol. I. London: Tinsley Brothers, 1876. HathiTrust, from a copy in the Getty Research Institute. Web. 19 October 2024.
Frith, W.P. My Autobiography and Reminiscences. 2 Vols. Vol. 2. New York, Harper, 1888. HathiTrust, from a copy in the University of California Library. Web. 19 October 2024.
Hajdamach, Jonathan. "Margaret Sarah Carpenter: a forgotten talent." Art UK. Web. 19 October 2024.
Smith, Richard J. "Carpenter [née Geddes], Margaret Sarah (1793–1872), portrait and genre painter." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Online ed. Web. 19 October 2024.
Sparrow, Walter Shaw, ed. Women Painters of the World: from the time of Caterina Vigri, 1413-1463, to Rosa Bonheur and the present day. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1905. HathiTrust, from a copy in the University of Michigan Library. Web. 19 October 2024.
Created 19 October 2024