George Sackville Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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George Sackville Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville

by Nathaniel Hone
watercolour and bodycolour on ivory, 1760
1 3/8 in. x 1 1/8 in. (35 mm x 29 mm) oval
Purchased, 1972
Primary Collection
NPG 4910

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

  • Nathaniel Hone (1718-1784), Portrait and miniature painter. Artist or producer associated with 56 portraits, Sitter in 9 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Sackville is wearing the uniform of the 2nd dragoon guards of which he was colonel, 1757-59. The miniature was painted in 1760, the year of his court-martial following the Battle of Minden in 1759. More detailed information on this portrait is available in a National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue, John Kerslake's Early Georgian Portraits (1977, out of print).

Linked publicationsback to top

  • Kerslake, John, Early Georgian Portraits, 1977, p. 240
  • Rogers, Malcolm, Master Drawings from the National Portrait Gallery, 1993 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 5 August to 23 October 1994), p. 51
  • Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 543
  • Walker, Richard, Miniatures: 300 Years of the English Miniature, 1998, p. 61 Read entry

    Lord Sackville (known as Lord George Germain from 1770 to 1782) was briefly, from 1758, commander of George II's troops in Germany. In August 1759 he ignored the orders of Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick during the Battle of Minden and was dismissed from the army. Sackville demanded a trial by court-martial, which took place in 1760, but its controversial verdict - both harsh and well publicised, at the request of George II - went against him. George III disapproved of the verdict and re-instated Sackville as Privy Councillor in 1765.

Subject/Themeback to top

Events of 1760back to top

Current affairs

Death of George II on 25 October at the age of 76. George III succeeds to the throne at the age of 22.

Art and science

German artist Johan Zoffany arrives in England, where he is instrumental in reviving the 'conversation piece' genre of painting.
First public exhibition of paintings in England is held at the Society of Arts' Great Room in the Strand, London.
The Public Ledger is founded; the oldest British periodical with continuous daily publication.


International

Seven Years' War: At the Battle of Carrickfergus in Ireland, a force of French troops captures the town of Carrickfergus before retiring.
Surrender of Montreal to the British under General Jeffrey Amherst signals the virtual loss of Canada by the French. British troops oust the Nawab of Bengal Mir Jafar and replace him with Mir Quasim.
Former Chief Tacky leads an unsuccessful slave rebellion in Jamaica, which aims to overthrow British rule.

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