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William Drummond of Hawthornden

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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William Drummond of Hawthornden

by John Finlayson, after Abraham van Blyenberch
mezzotint, published 1 June 1766
14 7/8 in. x 11 in. (379 mm x 280 mm) plate size; 15 5/8 in. x 11 5/8 in. (397 mm x 296 mm) paper size
Given by Charles Knight, 1860
Reference Collection
NPG D35584

Sitterback to top

Artistsback to top

  • Abraham van Blyenberch (1575 or 1576-1624), Artist. Artist associated with 15 portraits.
  • John Finlayson (circa 1730-circa 1776), Mezzotinter, draughtsman and painter. Artist associated with 25 portraits.

Related worksback to top

  • NPG D5633: William Drummond of Hawthornden (from same plate)
  • NPG D27838: William Drummond of Hawthornden (from same plate)
  • NPG D1798: William Drummond of Hawthornden (from same plate)
  • NPG D35400: William Drummond of Hawthornden (from same plate)

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1766back to top

Current affairs

Charles Edward Stuart ('Bonnie Prince Charlie') becomes the new Stuart claimant to the throne of Great Britain and figurehead for Jacobitism on the death of his father James Stuart, Pretender since 1701.
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham is dismissed as Prime Minister and succeeded by William Pitt the Elder.
Stamp Act, passed the previous year, is repealed.

Art and science

Swiss painter Angelica Kauffmann settles in London.
Oliver Goldsmith publishes his novel The Vicar of Wakefield.
Chemist Henry Cavendish publishes his paper 'On Factitious Airs' which is generally credited with showing the discovery of hydrogen.
First golf club in England opens at Blackheath in Kent.
Christie's auction house is founded in London.

International

Navigator and Royal Navy officer John Byron returns to England after his circumnavigation of the globe; the first to be completed in under two years. He takes possession of the Falkland Islands on behalf of Britain during his voyage.
German writer Gotthold Ephraim Lessing publishes his important work of literary criticism Laokoon; An Essay on the Limits of Painting and Poetry.

Tell us more back to top

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