Edmund Burke

1 portrait

© National Portrait Gallery, London

5 Likes voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Buy a print Buy a greetings card Make a donation Close

Edmund Burke

studio of Sir Joshua Reynolds
oil on canvas, circa 1769 or after
29 3/4 in. x 24 3/4 in. (756 mm x 629 mm)
Purchased, 1882
Primary Collection
NPG 655

On display in Room 12 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery

Sitterback to top

  • Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Statesman; orator; author. Sitter associated with 107 portraits.

Artistback to top

  • Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), Painter and first President of the Royal Academy. Artist or producer associated with 1425 portraits, Sitter associated with 40 portraits.

This portraitback to top

The statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke spoke regularly in the House of Commons on colonial issues. He was a strong critic of Britain's policy on America and his speech On Conciliation with America was published in 1775; 'Reflect how you are to govern a people who think they ought to be free and think they are not'. He was also a force behind the much-needed reform of the corrupt East India Company and in 1788 he opened the trial of Warren Hastings, the Governor-General of Bengal, with a speech of inspired eloquence.

Linked publicationsback to top

Events of 1769back to top

Current affairs

Radical John Wilkes is expelled from Parliament once again, on the grounds that he was an outlaw when he was voted in. He is re-elected by his Middlesex constituents, then expelled and re-elected twice more, until Parliament declares his opponent, Henry Luttrell, the winner.
First of 69 anonymous Letters of Junius appears in the Public Advertiser, exposing political corruption. The politician Sir Philip Francis is now believed to have been responsible.

Art and science

Josiah Wedgwood opens his Etruria Works for the manufacture of pottery.
Inventor Richard Arkwright patents a spinning frame able to weave fabric mechanically.
Gordon's London Dry Gin is produced for the first time.
First Royal Academy exhibition is held.
Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage is first published.

International

Captain Cook observes the transit of Venus in Tahiti while his passengers, Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander, collect valuable specimens of Pacific flora. The expedition travels on to New Zealand where Cook begins charting the country's entire coastline.
Treaty of Madras ends the First Anglo-Mysore War but fails to settle dispute.
French inventor Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot tests a steam wagon, probably the first working mechanical vehicle.

Comments back to top

We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.

If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.