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Description: | Acquisition: gift from Richard Henry Beaumont, 1805 Description: Whole length, facing viewer, head turned three-quarters to right; white wig falling to shoulders; lace cravat; robes and collar of the Order of the Garter: blue velvet mantle, crimson velvet surcoat lined with ermine, and red sash over cloth-of-silver dress; his right hand extended holds white wand of office of Lord Chamberlain, his left on his hip; architectural and curtain background, sky through opening to right, beneath which is a crimson-covered table upon which rests a plumed hat. 'My good friend Mr Beaumont of Whitley Hall, has lately become possessed of a very fine whole length Portrait of the late Duke of Grafton. represented in his Robes, and office of Ld: Chamberlain to the late King. The Picture is from the Pencil of Sr: Josh.a Reynolds ... [M]y friend ... wishes to know, if this valuable performance would be acceptable as a present. to your University, deposited in the Picture Gallery of the Bodln: Library ... J Prince [?]/ Turnham Gn Middx 6 Nov 1804' ( 'Letters to Bodley's Librarians', Bodleian Library, Ms Adds. A.64, fol.232). 'Nuneham Courtenay Saturday/ to the Revd, the Public Librarian Oxford/ Dear Sir/ As I could not discover from the questions I asked of the President of Corpus, respecting the age, the figure, or the features of the Duke of Grafton, whose portrait is placed in your gallery, which duke it was intended to represent, I desired the Dowgr Lady Spencer, when she went to Oxford, the other day, to examine it; which she did, and she informed me (as indeed I before supposed) that it is the portrait of Charles Fitzroy, second D. of Grafton, kn:t of the Garter & Lord Chamberlain of the household, to King George the 2d - if the portrait in question, be in good preservation, it is indisputably, a very valuable acquisition, to the collection, for that Duke was a fine subject, and the works of Sr Joshua, now that great artist is gone, are purchased by collectors like those of the esteemed old masters...' (Letter from Lord Harcourt, [c. 1805], 'Letters to Bodley's Librarians', Bodleian Library, Ms Adds. A.64, fol.122) Transferred from the Bodleian Library to the Ashmolean Museum in 1845; installed in the Examination Schools in 1993. External Link: Oxford Portraits website | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: by Sir Joshua Reynolds | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=921... | Go to resource |
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