Portrait of Lady Dufferin (Vicereine of India)

Lady Dufferin (1843-1936) was the wife of Frederick Temple Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood (1826-1902), a prominent Victorian politician.  In 1884 he was appointed Viceroy of India, ruling the country as a representative of the Queen Victoria (1819-1901). This portrait was commissioned by the Ladies Art Association in the United States for inclusion in the exhibition "Great Ladies of the Age" at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. The artist shows Lady Dufferin in the full regalia of the Vicereine of India, wearing a splendid tiara and jewels and seated in a throne-like chair.

In many ways this painting exemplifies the Gilded Age. Carl Gutherz, a European-trained artist, used a highly realistic, detailed style that captures the luxury and elegance of Lady Dufferin's clothing and surroundings. Fittingly for a picture from the Gilded Age, gold plays an important role: it is woven into the fabric of Lady Dufferin's dress, glitters in her jewelry, and covers her chair and footstool.

Although this portrait depicts a British noblewoman, it nonetheless embodies the American Gilded Age. During the late 19th century wealthy families from the United States became increasingly fascinated with European royalty, sometimes marrying into their families. For instance, the mother of Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, was the daughter of a wealthy stockbroker from Brooklyn who married into the noble Churchill/Marlborough family.