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One of Gainsborough's first full-length female portraits, this painting exemplifies the new monumentality and sophistication the artist achieved in Bath, where society figures came from throughout Britain to "take the cure" from the city's thermal springs. Gainsborough pictures Lady Mary Howe (1732–1800)—in 1788, she and her husband would become Earl and Countess Howe—at the height of fashion, from her Leghorn hat (named after the Italian city known for woven straw, Livorno, anglicized "Leghorn") to her heeled shoes fastened with buckles. Her attire, a "nightgown" (loose-fitting dress) of pink silk, is suited to walking, and her decorative lace apron folds back on itself, suggesting movement, as well as showing the artist's ability to render layers of translucency. The black bands at her wrists accentuate the paleness of her skin while her shield-shaped earrings and strings of pearls signal her wealth.
