Anna Williams (1706–1783)

Image credit: Dr Johnson's House

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Notes

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This portrait of Anna Williams was painted by Frances Reynolds, sister of the more renowned portraitist, Sir Joshua Reynolds. All were friends with Samuel Johnson. The sitter, Anna Williams, was a friend and housekeeper to Johnson from the early 1750s until her death in 1783. Johnson supported the impoverished Williams, the daughter of a failed inventor, for many decades and helped publish a miscellany of literary works for her benefit. Frances Reynolds has created a sensitive portrayal of Williams who, at an early age, was blinded by untreatable cataracts in both her eyes.

Dr Johnson's House

London

Title

Anna Williams (1706–1783)

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 79 x W 69 cm

Accession number

106

Acquisition method

presented by the subscribers of the Johnson Club, 1932

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

Dr Johnson's House

17 Gough Square, London, Greater London EC4A 3DE England

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