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Description: | Oil on canvas. Beechey painted four portraits of St Vincent, although there are multiple versions of each. The first is half-length and shows the sitter facing the viewer and wearing rear-admiral’s undress uniform (c.1792-93; National Maritime Museum). The second is three-quarter length and shows St Vincent in admiral’s full dress uniform (RA 1805; Guildhall, London). The third is a full-length portrait of St Vincent, wearing peer’s robes over admiral’s full-dress uniform and holding a copy of the ‘Naval Abuses Bill’ (RA 1807; Fishmonger’s Company). This is the fourth and last portrait to be painted. An engraving of the work by Antoine Cardon was published on 1 March 1809.
Artist William Beechey was a close friend of Earl of St Vincent. This portrait is thought to have been given by the sitter to the artist’s son, who was also the sitter’s godson and namesake; the Reverend (later Canon) St Vincent Beechey (1806-1899). This is therefore the primary version of the portrait. It has been suggested that a second version of this work, in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London, was painted by George Beechey, another son of the artist. | Subjects: | Earl of St Vincent John Jervis riband 19th century costume admiral male portrait Member of Parliament Order of the Bath Earl man | Temporal: | 1807-1808; 1807/1808 | Source: | Government Art Collection | Creator: | Sir William Beechey | Identifier: | http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/work.aspx?... | Go to resource |
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