Ann Catley
- Artist: William Evans
- Artist: William Lawranson
- Date: 1807
- Medium: stipple and line engraving
- Dimensions: Long Term Loan
- Portrays: Ann Catley
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
In this stipple and line engraving you see a portrait of Ann Catley, an English actress who lived from 1745 to 1789. Her head is turned slightly, revealing a quiet smile that suggests the stage presence she would later bring as Mrs Lascelles. The fine stipple gives her face soft shading, while clear lines define her features and costume. This engraving was produced by William Evans in 1807, but it is based on an earlier work by William Lawranson from before 1777. The image captures the elegance of late‑eighteenth‑century portraiture while preserving Catley’s expressive eyes.
See it in person
Ann Catley is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
