Captain The Hon. John Whitmore Chetwynd R.N. (1754-1788)
Dating
Circa 1785
Material / Technique
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
76.2x63.4 cm
Object Number
L0018
Display Status
On display
Description
This elegant portrait in a simple feigned oval displays the direct and
delicate technique of Gainsborough’s late portraits. The handsome figure is in an undress Royal Navy uniform, his tricorn hat held under his left arm, is Captain The Honorable John Whitmore Chetwynd R.N. (1754–88). Born at Heywood Park, Staffordshire, in February 1754, he was the second son of the fourth Viscount Chetwynd (1721–91). His death in Jamaica in 1788 meant that his younger brother Richard, 5th Viscount Chetwynd (1757–1821) succeeded to the title and he was thought for many years to be the subject of this painting. The debonair captain is depicted in his early thirties as naval officer and captain of HMS Expedition.
Credit Line
On loan from a Private Collection