Henry Swinburne
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.An inveterate traveler, Swinburne shared his experiences in letters and books. While in France, in April 1774, the British writer went to Versailles to be presented to Louis XV, not long before the latter’s death. That same day, Swinburne visited Madame Du Barry in her rooms under the roof of the palace. Although he found the king’s mistress gracious, he did not "think her a pleasing figure now, whatever she may have been." He later toured Spain and Italy, where Batoni painted this beautifully modeled portrait in 1779.
Artwork Details
- Title: Henry Swinburne
- Artist: Pompeo Batoni (Italian, Lucca 1708–1787 Rome)
- Date: 1779
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: Unframed: 27 7/8 × 22 5/8 in. (70.8 × 57.5 cm)
Framed: 34 1/4 × 29 1/8 in. (87 × 74 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne (TWCMS C3940)
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts