Mrs. James Pulham Sr. (Frances Amys, ca. 1766–1856)

The sitter, an amateur portrait painter, was the wife of James Pulham, an attorney in Woodbridge, Suffolk. In a letter to Constable of April 30, 1818, Mr. Pulham referred to this painting as "the Compliment which you have so handsomely bestowed on her." Portraiture was a minor but remunerative part of Constable’s practice. This is one of his liveliest works, with varied brushwork and glinting highlights.