drawing
- Museum number
- 1876,0510.930
- Description
-
Portrait of Oliver Goldsmith; half-length, his body turned half-l and his head in profile to left, a fur-trimmed cloak over his left shoulder
Brush drawing in grey and brown wash, with pen and black ink, over graphite
- Production date
- 1723-1792
- Dimensions
-
Height: 196 millimetres
-
Width: 177 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- Text from 'Gainsborough and Reynolds in the BM', BM 1984 cat.121:
The drawing was acquired as an anonymous copy of Reynolds' paintingof 1768 in the collection of the Duke of Bedford at Woburn Abbey. At some time after the publication of Binyon's catalogue in 1902, it was attributed to Reynolds himself. It is clearly drawn after the painting, and seems to be related to the mezzotint. One possible explanation is that it was drawn by Marchi as a reduction for the mezzotint, and was then corrected by Reynolds; the pen and ink scribblings are similar to those on the corrected proof of Nelly O'Brien (see 1887,0406.34). On the other hand the size of the drawing does not match the mezzotint.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1934 BM, Exhibition of English Art, no.334
1961, Feb-Mar Birmingham City AG, 'Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA', no.91
1984 London, BM, 'Gainsborough and Reynolds in the BM', cat.121
- Acquisition date
- 1876
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1876,0510.930
