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Description: | This painting of the Astronomers Club shows a group of men presumably attending a meeting of this generic ?astronomers? club?. One is looking through a large telescope facing another, presumably taking notes. A third man is looking through a smaller hand held telescope. Though it seems unlikely this painting is of a specific astronomy club it does typify a scene common in the late 18th early 19th century.
Smirke was a popular artist in his day, best known for his depictions of scenes from Shakespeare's plays. He was a member of the Royal Academy, although his democratic and republican views meant that George III refused to ratify his election as keeper of the Royal Academy in 1804.
There is a printed label on the back of the mahogany panel which reads:
Royal Dublin Society
Exhibition of Fine Arts, 1861
71E (mss) Received from 201 (mss)
Name: Mr Sotheby (mss)
Address: Wellington Street (mss)'
Mr Sotheby is almost certainly Samuel Leigh Sotheby (1805-1861) - see Oxford DNB - from a family of autioneers and booksellers based in Wellington Street. The plaque on the back refers in all probability to Sotheby's role as dealer of this piece. The Royal Dublin Society however have no record of this painting being exhibited by them in 1861.
caption: The Astronomer's Club by Sir Robert Smirke | Publisher: | "http://collections.rmg.co.uk/" | Rights holder: | "Royal Museums Greenwich" | Source: | Royal Museums Greenwich | Identifier: | http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections... | Go to resource |
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