William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield
1 of 16 portraits of William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield
- Overview
- Extended Catalogue Entry
© National Portrait Gallery, London
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield
by Jean Baptiste van Loo
oil on canvas, circa 1737
29 1/2 in. x 24 1/2 in. (749 mm x 622 mm)
Given by Society of Judges and Serjeants-at-Law, 1877
Primary Collection
NPG 474
Artistback to top
- Jean Baptiste van Loo (1684-1745), Painter. Artist or producer associated with 57 portraits.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Ingamells, John, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, 2004, p. 328
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 409
Events of 1737back to top
Current affairs
Death of Queen Caroline, wife of George II, on 20 November.Frederick, Prince of Wales quarrels with his father. The king expels him from court for criticising the government.
Theatrical Licensing Act introduces censorship, requiring plays to be submitted to the Lord Chancellor for approval and reducing the number of theatres.
Art and science
French portrait-painter Jean-Baptiste Van Loo arrives in England where he soon attracts prominent sitters such as Robert Walpole, Colley Cibber and William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield.Venus passes in front of Mercury and is witnessed by amateur astronomer John Bevis at the Royal Greenwich Observatory. It remains the only such planetary occlusion that has been directly observed.
International
Colonist William Byrd founds Richmond, Virginia.French Académie Royale de Peintre et de Sculpture begins its programme of public exhibitions.
Florence loses her independence when the last Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany dies.
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