Portrait of the Earl of Bellamont
| Portrait of the Earl of Bellamont | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Joshua Reynolds |
| Year | 1774 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait painting |
| Dimensions | 245 cm × 162 cm (96 in × 64 in) |
| Location | National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin |
Portrait of the Earl of Bellamont is a 1774 portrait painting by the British artist Joshua Reynolds.[1] It depicts the Irish aristocrat and politician Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont (his name is often written as Bellamont) He is depicted at full-length in the grand manner style wearing the ceremonial robes and ostrich-plumed hat of the Order of the Bath.[2] Leaning nonchalantly on his sword, it creates the effect of a dandy and echoes the portraits of Anthony van Dyck. This fits with his public persona as a vain womaniser who deserted his wife, the daughter of the Duke of Leinster. [3] Reynolds also adds a punning reference to the sitter's family surname by adding a coot to the background.[4]
The painting was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1774 in London's Pall Mall, one of thirteen works he submitted that year.[5] Today it is part of the collection of the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin, which purchased it in 1875. [6] The same year a mezzotint was produced by the engraver James Scott based on the painting.[7]
References
- ^ Cullen p.39
- ^ Hollander p.95
- ^ http://onlinecollection.nationalgallery.ie/objects/6175
- ^ Litton p.106-8
- ^ McIntyre p.275
- ^ http://onlinecollection.nationalgallery.ie/objects/6175
- ^ https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw41169/Charles-Coote-1st-Earl-of-Bellamont
Bibliography
- Cullen, Fintan. The Irish Face: Redefining the Irish Portrait. National Portrait Gallery, 2004.
- Hollander, Anne. Fabric of Vision: Dress and Drapery in Painting. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.
- Ingamells, John. National Portrait Gallery Mid-Georgian Portraits, 1760-1790. National Portrait Gallery, 2004.
- Litton, Helen (ed.) Master European Paintings from the National Gallery of Ireland: Mantegna to Goya. National Gallery of Ireland, 1992.
- McIntyre, Ian. Joshua Reynolds: The Life and Times of the First President of the Royal Academy. Allen Lane, 2003.