A Pioneer of English Portraiture
Joan Carlile was an English portrait painter who holds distinction as one of the first English women known to practise painting professionally. Before her era, professional female painters working in Britain were primarily from elsewhere in Europe, particularly the Low Countries. Born Joan Palmer, she was the daughter of William Palmer, an official in the Royal Parks, and Mary.
Her artistic practice involved copying the works of Italian masters and reproducing them in miniature, though she was also an accomplished painter in her own right. Her life was closely connected to Richmond Park; following her marriage to Lodowick Carlell, the couple lived at Petersham Lodge from 1637 to 1663.
Notable Works and Legacy
Carlile's repertoire includes several notable portraits held in prestigious collections. Her work Lady Dorothy Browne and Sir Thomas Browne is located at London's National Portrait Gallery, where a portrait of Sir Thomas Browne is also attributed to her. The Tate holds her Portrait of an Unknown Lady, painted between 1650 and 1655.
Other documented works include:
- A painting from circa 1648 of Elizabeth Murray, Countess of Dysart, with her husband and sister, held by the National Trust at Ham House.
- The Carlile Family with Sir Justinian Isham in Richmond Park (also known as A Stag Hunt), held at Lamport Hall.
- A full-length portrait of a lady, believed to be Lady Anne Wentworth, in a white dress and purple mantle.
- A miniature portrait described as A Lady, Wearing White Dress With Brooch at Her Corsage...
