Isabella Cay - The Artist's Sister

Artist William Dyce (Aberdeen, Scotland, 1806 - 1864)

Associated Isabella Cay

Datec. 1835

Mediumoil on canvas

ClassificationsPaintings And Drawings

DimensionsOverall: Height: 127 cm, Width: 74.8 cm
Frame: Height: 156.6 cm, Width: 105.5

AcquisitionPresented in 1995 by Mrs Barbara Wallis.

CopyrightOut of copyright - CC0

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDAG011503

Keywords

About MeIsabella was a younger sister of William Dyce. In 1835 she married an Edinburgh lawyer and good friend of William Dyce, Robert Dundas Cay. This portrait was probably painted to commemorate her marriage.

Dyce depicts his sister standing full face, wearing a low cut, black lace evening dress. This three-quarter, full-face format was used by Sir Thomas Lawrence, whom Dyce met when he first went to London. The colouring of the portrait, with the sitter dressed in black and set against a stormy, even fiery, background also recalls Lawrence's dramatic portraits. It suggests that at this stage Dyce was very much in admiration of this highly successful portraitist.

In 1844 Robert Cay was appointed registrar to the Supreme Court of the colony of Hong Kong. Eight years later Isabella was involved in a carriage accident and died as a result of her injuries on 21 June 1852. She was buried at Wong-We-Chung, Happy Valley Cemetery, Victoria in Hong Kong.