Henry John Rous (1795-1877) Admiral and sportsman

Location

Country: France
City: Paris
Place: British Embassy

Alfred, Count d’Orsay, dandy and amateur artist, was born in Paris, the son of one of Napoleon’s generals. He met Lord and Lady Blessington in 1822 and was romantically interested in Lady Blessington. Perhaps to divert D’Orsay’s attention from his wife, Lord Blessington wrote a will leaving his Irish property to one of his daughters, should either marry Count D’Orsay. D’Orsay chose 15 year old Lady Harriet Anne Gardiner and the couple married in Naples in 1827. It was not a happy union. Following the death of Lord Blessington and the breakdown of the Count’s marriage, D’Orsay and Lady Blessington became a prominent couple in fashionable society. D’Orsay died in Paris in 1852, having fled there with Lady Blessington to escape his debts.

People

Henry John Rous (1795 - 1877)

Places

Subjects

horse-racing, male portrait, sideburns, man, 19th century costume, admiral

Materials & Techniques

paper (as artists material), pencil, pencil drawing

Artist

Alfred, Count d' Orsay (1801 - 1852)

Title

Henry John Rous (1795-1877) Admiral and sportsman

Date

March 1842

Medium

Pencil on paper

Dimensions

height: 28.00 cm, width: 20.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Colnaghi, February 1955

Inscription

Insbc&Sdmr

GAC number

3060