Hannah Mary Elizabeth Fry, daughter of the Reverend Thomas Fry, married London barrister Harris Prendergast, probably about the date that this picture was painted. She is shown here in a fashionable satin evening dress, with a heart-shaped décolletage and short sleeves trimmed with ribbon bows. A curved bertha (a deep falling collar) of blonde lace falls over her arms and helps to create a drooping shoulder line. Mrs Fry's clothing, hair ringlets, and accessories all reflect the revival of interest during the late 1830s in mid-seventeenth century fashions. This portrait was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1838.