George Frederick Cooke as Richard III

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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George Frederick Cooke as Richard III

by and published by Robert Dighton
hand-coloured etching, published 1 December 1800
10 3/4 in. x 8 1/4 in. (273 mm x 210 mm) plate size; 12 1/4 in. x 10 1/8 in. (311 mm x 256 mm) paper size
Given by David Padbury, 2016
Reference Collection
NPG D47149

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

  • Robert Dighton (1751-1814), Portrait painter, caricaturist and actor. Artist or producer associated with 320 portraits, Sitter in 4 portraits.

Related worksback to top

  • NPG D16184: George Frederick Cooke as Richard III (from same plate)
  • NPG D13322: George Frederick Cooke as Richard III (from same plate)

Placesback to top

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1800back to top

Current affairs

Widespread food riots after poor harvests of 1798-9. Theorist, Thomas Malthus, controversially argues that poverty and food shortages are an inevitable consequence of population growth, challenging assumptions that populousness was a sign of national prosperity and power. His thesis contributed forcefully to the debate over the existing Poor Law.

Art and science

William Wordsworth publishes his Preface to the Lyrical Ballads; a retrospective explanation of his experimental poems written with Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It becomes one of the best-known manifestos of Romantic literature.

International

Lord Castlereagh, Chief Secretary for Ireland, is the main architect of the Act of Union under which Ireland is merged with Great Britain and the Irish parliament is abolished.
British troops support successful uprising by Maltese against the French.
Napoleon is victorious against Austrians at Marengo and reconquers Italy.

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