John Horne Tooke

Sitterback to top

• John Horne Tooke (1736-1812), Radical politician and philologist. Sitter associated with 49 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Sir Francis Leggatt Chantrey (1781-1841), Sculptor. Artist associated with 266 portraits, Sitter in 11 portraits.

This portraitback to top

'one of the wisest and most judicious friends [I] ever encountered' Sir Francis Chantrey on John Horne Tooke, quoted in Fraser's Magazine, 1850
Chantrey was one of the first artists to experiment with the camera lucida. In this early drawn example he concentrates on the outlines of his subject's profile, and has annotated dimensions of his sitter's head. The marble bust related to this drawing (Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge) was exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art and was Chantrey's first great success, securing commissions worth £12,000.
The radical politician Horne Tooke was introduced to Chantrey by the artist John Raphael Smith. This drawing was made soon after Horne Tooke was released from prison, after being wrongly accused of planning an uprising.

Linked publicationsback to top

• Ingamells, John, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, 2004, p. 460
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 619

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

• From Pencil to Chisel: Sir Francis Chantrey’s Portrait Drawings (2 April 2011 - 20 November 2011)

Portrait setback to top

• Preliminary drawings for busts and statues by Sir Francis Chantrey, circa 1807-40

Subject/Themeback to top

• In profile