'A literary party at Sir Joshua Reynolds's'

'A literary party at Sir Joshua Reynolds's', by D. George Thompson, published by Owen Bailey, after James William Edmund Doyle, published 1 October 1851 - NPG D14518 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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'A literary party at Sir Joshua Reynolds's'

by D. George Thompson, published by Owen Bailey, after James William Edmund Doyle
stipple and line engraving, published 1 October 1851
18 1/4 in. x 25 1/8 in. (465 mm x 638 mm) plate size; 19 3/4 in. x 27 1/4 in. (503 mm x 692 mm) paper size
Bequeathed by (Frederick) Leverton Harris, 1927
Reference Collection
NPG D14518

Artistsback to top

Sittersback to top

  • James Boswell (1740-1795), Biographer of Dr Johnson. Sitter associated with 16 portraits.
  • Edmund Burke (1729-1797), Statesman; orator; author. Sitter associated with 105 portraits.
  • Charles Burney (1726-1814), Musician and historian of music. Sitter in 10 portraits.
  • David Garrick (1717-1779), Actor, playwright and theatre manager. Sitter associated with 56 portraits.
  • Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774), Writer. Sitter in 10 portraits.
  • Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), Poet, critic and lexicographer. Sitter associated with 50 portraits.
  • (Filippo Antonio) Pasquale Paoli (1725-1807), Corsican general and patriot. Sitter in 8 portraits.
  • Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), Painter and first President of the Royal Academy. Sitter associated with 38 portraits, Artist associated with 1413 portraits.
  • Thomas Warton the Younger (1728-1790), Literary historian; critic and poet. Sitter in 4 portraits.

Placesback to top

Portrait setback to top

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1851back to top

Current affairs

A population census is taken of all the people living in Britain, recording details about every householder on the night of March 30. This census greatly extends the fields of the 1841 census, being the first to record full details of individuals' birth locations, exact age, marital status, and details of disability, thus making it a valuable tool for demographers and genealogists. The census was made open for public inspection in 1912.

Art and science

The Great Exhibition is held in London,at the Crystal Palace, especially designed by Sir Joseph Paxton. The international exhibition was designed to showcase the best in science, art and industry. it attracted millions of visitors.
Lizzie Siddal poses for John Millais's painting Ophelia.
Hermann von Helmotz invents the ophthalmoscope, making it possible for doctors to examine within a patient's eye.

International

Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, President of the French Republic, stages a coup d'état, successfully dissolving the French National Assembly without having the constitutional right to do so. Now the sole ruler of France, he re-establishes universal suffrage, previously abolished by the Assembly and becomes 'Napoléon III, Emperor of the French'.

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