George Canning (1770-1827) Prime Minister

Location

Country: Portugal
City: Lisbon
Place: British Embassy

Sir Thomas Lawrence was born in Bristol. By 1780 his family settled in Bath, where he may have been taught by William Hoare. He moved to London in 1787 and attended the Royal Academy schools. He later caused a sensation at the Academy with his portraits of ‘Queen Charlotte’ and ‘Miss Farren’, exhibited there in 1790. Two years later, aged 21, he succeeded Reynolds as Painter in Ordinary to the King and thereafter was kept fully occupied as a society portrait painter. He was knighted in 1815 and travelled in Europe from 1818 to 1820, painting the personalities involved in the overthrow of Napoleon. The portraits were commissioned for the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor and earned him the reputation of first portrait painter in Europe.

People

George Canning (1770 - 1827)

Places

Subjects

male portrait, man, 19th century costume, frock coat, coat, trousers, cravat, shoe, Prime Minister, bench, curtain

Materials & Techniques

canvas, oil, oil painting

Artist

Sir Thomas, (studio of) Lawrence

Title

George Canning (1770-1827) Prime Minister

Date

1826

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

height: 92.00 cm, width: 61.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Historical Portraits Ltd, February 1990

Provenance

Collection of Thomas Liddell (1800-1856); by whose executors sold through Christie's, London, on 27 March 1857 (Lot 92), as after Lawrence, for £6.15.0; from which sale purchased by ‘Liddell’; with Agnew’s Gallery, London; sold through Christie's, London, on 18 February 1921 (Lot 127); with Historical Portraits Ltd., London; from whom purchased by the Government Art Collection in February 1990

GAC number

16727