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Description: | Mezzotint. Prime Minister William Gladstone is seated at his desk in a panelled room. A classical figurine supported by a small shelf is on the wall beyond him. Gladstone is depicted glancing up; pausing from reading the papers in his hands.
The completion of the original oil painting (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), on which this mezzotint is based, in 1890 (Gladstone’s 81st year) was reported by the ‘Magazine of Art’: ‘A portrait of Mr. Gladstone has just been completed by Mr. Percy Bigland. Both the sitter and Mrs. Gladstone declare it to be the best likeness ever painted of him.’ In the following year ‘The Art Collector’ announced the production of this mezzotint version of the portrait:
‘Mr. Percy Bigland, the young British artist who painted the last portrait of Mr. Gladstone so far reported, has scraped a mezzotint from his painting which is said to be an excellent reproduction of the oil. Mr. Gladstone sits by a table with a paper before him and looks up from his reading.’ | Subjects: | nude Prime Minister 19th century costume male portrait desk wing collar ink chair statue inkpot Leader of the Liberal Party suit book state interior William Ewart Gladstone man figurine | Temporal: | 1891 | Source: | Government Art Collection | Creator: | Percy Bigland | Identifier: | http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/work.aspx?... | Go to resource |
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