drawing;
album
- Museum number
- 2016,7006.1.24
- Description
-
Portrait of a man, from an album of 54 landscape drawings and watercolours; a man standing on his toes lifting his hat, with an umbrella under his arm and a walking stick
Graphite
- Production date
- 1815 (around)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 245 millimetres (album)
-
Height: 132 millimetres (drawing)
-
Width: 323 millimetres (album)
-
Width: 101 millimetres (drawing)
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- This drawing is one of 54 from an album by Thomas Stoney (2016,7006.1.1 to 54) which includes views of the battle fields of Quatre Bras and Waterloo, as well as views in or of Holyhead, Dublin, Zalk, Louvain, Harlingen, Florence and some portraits, many inscribed with locations. For a description of the album, see the curatorial comment for 2016,7006.1.1.
This drawings stands out among the portraits in this album. While other portraits seem to offer glimpses of daily life, for example 2016,7006.1.14, which presumably shows Stoney's landlord, the present drawing seems to offer a commentary on the political events in France following the defeat and subsequent resignation of Napoleon Bonaparte and the reinstituion of Louis XVIII as King of France in 1815. Moreover, the drawing should be considered in relation to the depictions of the battlefields of Quatre Bras and Waterloo shown in the back of the album (see 2016,7006.1.44 to 54). It is unclear if the portrait shows Louis XVIII or one of his supporters, but seems to portray a satirical quality.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
2015, 5 Feb-31 Aug, London, British Museum, Bonaparte and the British, no. 145 (this drawing not displayed)
2018-2019, Oct 4 – 27 Jan, London, BM G90, New Acquisitions: Gozzoli to Kara Walker [open to fol. 43]
- Acquisition date
- 2016
- Acquisition notes
- The album presumably passed through van der Weyer's descendants; whereabouts unknown until purchased by William Drummond in 1970s, from whom the BM acquired it in 2016.
This item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45. The British Museum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 2016,7006.1.24