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Beatrice Mary Clifford (b.1861), Aged Fourteen
Attributed to Alexander Maclean (Scottish, 1840–1877), Equestrian Portrait, circa 1875
A distinguished Victorian oil on canvas depicting Beatrice Mary Clifford (b.1861), portrayed at the age of fourteen.
Executed with remarkable sensitivity and restraint, this portrait captures a poised young equestrienne standing in quiet confidence — an image of refinement, discipline, and early womanhood within the genteel world of late nineteenth-century England.
Beatrice is shown in graceful three-quarter profile, dressed in a tailored black riding jacket, crisp white blouse, and vivid turquoise cravat. She holds her riding crop with composure, her golden-brown gloves softly illuminated by the artist’s deft control of tone and light. The harmony of colour, form, and expression reveals the painter’s academic precision and emotive realism, hallmarks of Alexander Maclean’s mature style.
The Sitter: Beatrice Mary Clifford (1861 – c.1930)
Beatrice Mary Clifford was born in 1861, the eldest daughter of William Henry Clifford (1821–1908) and Caroline Clifford (née Phelps, 1829–1916) of Chestal House, Dursley, Gloucestershire. Her maternal grandfather, James Phelps of Chestal, was a prosperous wool merchant and banker who built the family’s elegant country seat around 1848.
The union of the Phelps and Clifford families combined industrial prosperity with landed heritage, establishing one of Gloucestershire’s most respected households.
Raised amid the cultivated surroundings of Chestal — with its parkland, stables, and formal gardens — Beatrice received a privileged education in refinement and equestrian accomplishment. Riding was central to family life and social identity, and this portrait captures not only her poise and composure but also the confidence and discipline that defined the young women of her class.
The work likely commemorated her entry into young society — a symbolic transition from childhood to genteel womanhood — expressed through the imagery of the Victorian equestrienne: elegant, dignified, and self-possessed.
Subject & Medium
A magnificent example of Victorian portraiture, this oil on canvas depicts a young lady of distinction poised with quiet authority. Her attire — a fitted black riding jacket, white blouse, and turquoise cravat — embodies the fashionable refinement of the 1870s. The golden-brown gloves introduce warmth and contrast against the cool tones of her clothing, while her serene gaze conveys both discipline and grace. The artist’s handling of surface and texture demonstrates the technical sophistication characteristic of high academic painting of the period.
The Portrait (c.1875)
Painted around 1875, when Beatrice was fourteen, this portrait likely marked her social coming of age. During the Victorian era, equestrian portraits of young women were a popular means of expressing familial pride and feminine virtue. They celebrated not only beauty and refinement but also moral steadiness and gentility.
Archival and stylistic evidence supports the identification of the sitter as Beatrice Mary Clifford, described in family papers as “a young equestrian lady of the Phelps family, later Clifford family, of Chestal, Dursley.”
Composition & Technique
Executed with exceptional delicacy, the portrait exemplifies the romantic realism of late Victorian art. The deep blacks and cool greys of her riding attire are offset by the luminous turquoise of her cravat and the gentle warmth of her complexion. The neutral background enhances the sitter’s presence without distraction.
Maclean’s brushwork combines smooth modelling in the face and hands with expressive texture in the garments and background, balanced by refined chiaroscuro — a hallmark of academic portraiture.
A fine, even craquelure across the surface confirms both its age and authenticity.
Signature
The painting bears the clear signature “A. Maclean” in the lower corner, executed in fine script consistent with authenticated works by Alexander Maclean (1840–1877).
The signature’s placement, pigment tone, and brushwork align closely with those recorded on Maclean’s exhibited pieces at the Royal Academy in the 1870s. It remains crisp and legible beneath the original varnish, supporting its authenticity and period origin.
The Artist: Alexander Maclean (1840–1877)
Born in Helensburgh, Scotland, Alexander Maclean studied in Edinburgh before refining his art in Rome, Florence, and Antwerp. His work reflects a synthesis of classical training and emotive realism, qualities that earned him recognition at the Royal Academy between 1872 and 1877.
Among his best-known paintings are Covent Garden Market and At the Railings, St. Paul’s, both admired for their mastery of light and subtle psychological depth.
A comparable work, Covent Garden Market, achieved USD $102,700 at Christie’s, underscoring continuing appreciation for his artistry.
Later Life of Beatrice Clifford
Archival sources suggest that Beatrice remained unmarried, residing at or near Chestal throughout her life and assisting in family affairs following her father’s death. When Chestal was sold in 1967, several family portraits — including this one — were dispersed, prompting the “Missing Phelps Portraits” appeal by the Gloucestershire Archives.
Although few personal documents survive, this painting endures as a rare and poignant record of a young woman negotiating Victorian ideals of womanhood — poised, intelligent, and quietly independent in spirit.
Frame
Presented in its original ornate giltwood frame, richly carved with floral motifs and layers of gilding. The warm golden tones harmonise beautifully with the sitter’s complexion and the palette of the painting.
The frame displays gentle, age-related wear, including minor scuffs, small repairs, and limited overpainting, yet retains its full Victorian splendour and authenticity.
Dimensions (framed):
Height: 140 cm | Width: 106 cm | Depth: 5 cm
Provenance
Likely commissioned by the Clifford family of Chestal
By descent within the family
Private Collection, United Kingdom
Gloucestershire Archives, D3831, Phelps–Clifford Family Papers
“Missing Phelps Portraits,” Gloucestershire Heritage Hub (accessed 2025)
W.A. Smith (Late J. Green)
D.T. Beesley Ltd
Phelps No. 115
Private Collection, Greater London
Exhibited: Famous Lord Hill Museum
Collection of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Each provenance reference reinforces the painting’s authenticity and distinguished heritage.
Condition
Surface: Fine craquelure with minor professional touch-ups visible under magnification, some minor paint loss in areas to the face.
Frame: Light scuffs and small repairs; structurally sound
Overall: Stable, well-preserved, and rich in period character
Why Collect This Work
A masterful nineteenth-century portrait uniting beauty, craftsmanship, and provenance
The sitter — a poised young equestrienne — epitomises Victorian grace and discipline
Signed and attributed to Alexander Maclean, a highly regarded Scottish painter
Presented in its original giltwood frame with full period integrity
A statement piece for collectors of fine Victorian art and portraiture
This portrait speaks across centuries — dignified, radiant, and profoundly human.
Shipping
Worldwide shipping available. Each work is professionally packaged and fully insured for secure international delivery.
For purchase or further information, please contact Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.
Enquiries are warmly welcomed.

• Period: https://cheshireanti
• • Price: £15,000.00
  • €17,247 Euro
  • $20,142 US Dollar
• Location: London
• • Dimensions: H: 140cm (55.12in)
  • W: 106cm (41.73in)
  • D: 5cm (1.97in)