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Florentia (née Wynch), Lady Sale

8 of 40 portraits by William James Ward

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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Florentia (née Wynch), Lady Sale

by William James Ward, after Sir Thomas Lawrence
mezzotint, (after 1820)
11 1/2 in. x 8 7/8 in. (291 mm x 225 mm) paper size
Purchased with help from the Friends of the National Libraries and the Pilgrim Trust, 1966
Reference Collection
NPG D4150

Sitterback to top

  • Florentia (née Wynch), Lady Sale (1790-1853), Traveller and writer; author of 'Journal of the Disasters in Afghanistan'; wife of Sir Robert Henry Sale. Sitter in 8 portraits.

Artistsback to top

  • Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830), Portrait painter, collector and President of the Royal Academy. Artist or producer associated with 696 portraits, Sitter in 25 portraits.
  • William James Ward (circa 1800-1840), Engraver; son of William Ward. Artist or producer associated with 40 portraits.

Related worksback to top

  • NPG D4151: Florentia (née Wynch), Lady Sale (from same plate)

Subject/Themeback to top

Events of 1820back to top

Current affairs

George III dies at Windsor Castle on 29 January and George IV ascends to the throne.
'Trial of Queen Caroline' in the House of Lords; Parliament drops the Bill which was to legitimise a divorce between Caroline and George IV.
Cato Street Conspiracy to assassinate the cabinet discovered. Arthur Thistlewood and fellow conspirators are hanged.

Art and science

Sir Thomas Lawrence becomes President of the Royal Academy.
Astronomical Society is set up by John Herschel and Charles Babbage.
First iron steamship is launched.

International

Actor, Edmund Kean goes on a successful tour of America after making his name at the Drury Lane Theatre.
Revolutions begin in Spain, Portugal and Naples.
The famous ancient Greek statue of the Venus de Milo is rediscovered on the Island of Melos and purchased by the Louvre in Paris.

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Sean Scholfield

26 January 2020, 10:31

Lady Florentia was a survivor-there weren't many, from the retreat from Kabul during the First Afghan War.
A safe passage was guaranteed after the British were expelled under Sir William Elphinstone from Kabul, but in reality it wasn't.
'I had fortunately, only one ball in my arm; three others passed through my poshteen near the shoulder without doing me any injury. The party that fired on us were not above fifty yards from us, and we owed our escape to urging our horses on as fast as they could go.'

'The sight was dreadful, the smell of the blood sickening; and the corpses lay so thick it was impossible to look away from them, and it took some care to guide my horse so as not to tred upon their bodies.’