Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon (1743 - 1827)
About this artwork
Alexander Gordon, who became the 4th Duke of Gordon at the age of nine, went on a Grand Tour of Europe to complete his education. This portrait of him was painted in Rome by Batoni, the fashionable portrait painter popular with the British aristocracy in Italy. Usually Batoni's Grand Tour portraits make references to the antiquities of Rome, but here he has emphasised Gordon's passion for hunting. The young duke was not particularly interested in the ancient sites or classical learning.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Pompeo Batoni (1708 - 1787) Italian
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title:Alexander Gordon, 4th Duke of Gordon (1743 - 1827)
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date created:1764
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materials:Oil on canvas
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measurements:292.00 x 192.00 cm; Framed: 338.00 x 240.50 x 13.00 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased by Private Treaty with the aid of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund, 1994
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accession number:NG 2589
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artwork photographed by:Antonia Reeve
Pompeo Batoni
Pompeo Batoni
Batoni, a native of Lucca, was the son of a goldsmith. He began in his father's workshop but left for Rome in 1727 where he soon acquired a reputation for making fine drawings after the antique, which were often bought by British visitors. During his long career, Batoni executed altarpieces for...
