The Life of Rhoda Delaval
Rhoda Delaval was an English aristocrat and artist born on 1 July 1725 to Captain Francis Blake Delaval and Rhoda Apreece. As the eldest daughter of twelve children, she grew up in a prominent family; her brother, Sir Francis Blake Delaval the younger, was born two years after her birth.
On 23 May 1751, she married Edward Astley, the 4th Baronet of Melton Constable. The couple lived at 11 Downing Street in London and had four children: a daughter, Editha Rhoda, and three sons, Edward, Francis, and Jacob Henry. Following the birth of her son Francis, she died in 1757 and was buried at a church near the manor in Widcombe, Bath.
Artistic Pursuits and Works
Between 1744 and 1750, Rhoda Delaval studied painting under Arthur Pond, who also painted her portrait. Her artistic endeavors included purchasing prints from Pond for approximately £1,500. Her known works include:
- A drawing with pastels, held by the National Portrait Gallery.
- A painting of Sir Jacob Astley, 1st Baron Astley of Reading, created from a 17th-century original.
- A self-portrait with her brother titled Painting and Poetry, patterned after Bernardino Luini.
- A portrait of Anne Hussey Delaval, Lady Stanhope, which is on loan to the National Trust.
She was also commissioned to paint portraits of her siblings for a total of about £300.
