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Lord Byron

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Lord Byron

by Richard Westall
oil on canvas, 1813
36 in. x 28 in. (914 mm x 711 mm)
Purchased, 1961
Primary Collection
NPG 4243

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

  • Richard Westall (1765-1836), History painter. Artist associated with 13 portraits, Sitter in 6 portraits.

This portraitback to top

The artist Richard Westall was employed by Byron’s publisher John Murray to illustrate Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. On 21 April 1813 Byron wrote to Murray that: 'I shall be in town on Sunday next & will call & have some conversation on the subject of Westall's proposed designs. - I am to sit to him for a picture at the request of a friend of mine'. The sitting resulted in this suitably dashing and romantic portrait. The friend who commissioned it was probably the radical MP Sir Francis Burdett.

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Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1813back to top

Current affairs

Machine breaking Luddite Riots end with seventeen executions in York. Radical John Cartwright's subsequent tour of the manufacturing districts has some success in quelling Luddite discontent with the foundation of the Hampden reform club network across the country.
East India Company is deprived of monopoly over trade with India.

Art and science

Millenarian prophet Joanna Southcott, made famous by her visions of the second coming of Christ, announces herself 'with child' by the Holy Ghost.
Jane Austen publishes Pride and Prejudice.

International

Victorious Battle of St Pierre near Bayonne led by General Rowland Hill.
Battle of Leipzig ends in defeat for Napoleon.
Wellington's victory at Vittoria leads to British invasion of Southern France.
Americans capture and burn Toronto, defeat British in Battle of Lake Erie and recapture Detroit.

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Elena Dmitrieva

26 September 2018, 08:45

Lord Byron is depicted here with the roman-style 19th century onyx cameo of Leander swimming across the Hellespont towards Hero, who watches him from a tower, now in private collection. There is an inscription on the back of this cameo: "May 3, 1810"

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