Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax (1800-1885) politician

Location

Country: Other
City: storage

This three-quarter length portrait of Charles Wood, first Viscount Halifax shows the sitter seated, wearing the Sash and Star of the Bath. His hands rest on a closed book on his lap.

Portraitist George Richmond first produced a pencil sketch of politician Charles Wood (later Viscount Halifax) in 1861, for the Grillion’s Club. Grillion’s was a London dining club founded in 1812 by politician and diplomat Stratford Canning. Richmond served as the Club’s official portraitist from 1847 to 1862. Although Richmond’s portrait of Wood for Grillion’s shows a much younger man, it is similar to this work and depicts the sitter in almost the exact same pose.

Richmond painted the original version of this portrait in 1873, after Wood had been raised to the peerage as Viscount Halifax (in 1866). The work was exhibited at the Victorian Exhibition at the New Gallery, London, in 1891–92 and that original portrait probably the version presented to Oriel College, Oxford, by the second Viscount Halifax in 1924. Engraver John Douglas Miller exhibited an example of this stipple engraving after the portrait at the Royal Academy in 1886.

George Richmond was born in London and received his first training in art from his father, Thomas Richmond, a miniature portrait painter. From 1824 he studied at the Royal Academy Schools, where he was taught briefly by Henry Fuseli. He was particularly influenced by the visionary art of William Blake, joining the close circle of Blake’s followers known as ‘The Ancients’. Richmond later established a reputation as a leading portraitist and painted several notable figures, including William Wilberforce (1832) and John Ruskin (1842). In 1867, he was elected a Royal Academician. He died in London, just before turning 87.
John Douglas Miller was born in Hadley. He worked as a mezzotint engraver of decorative and sentimental subjects, and portraits. His mezzotints were made after the works of contemporary artists such as William Holman Hunt and Frederic, Lord Leighton. He may be the same John Douglas Miller who was a partner in the firm of photographers Disderi and Co., based in Brook Street, near Hanover Square, in London.

People

Charles, 1st Viscount Halifax Wood (1800 - 1885)

Places

Subjects

male portrait, 19th century costume, Viscount, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Materials & Techniques

engraving, stipple engraving

Artist

George Richmond (1809 - 1896)
John Douglas Miller

Title

Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax (1800-1885) politician

Date

published 12 December 1884

Medium

Stipple engraving

Acquisition

Purchased, date and source uncertain, prior to 1946

GAC number

0/218