Portrait of Frederick Burnaby

Portrait of Frederick Burnaby
ArtistJames Tissot
Year1870
TypeOil on panel, portrait painting
Dimensions50 cm × 61 cm (20 in × 24 in)
LocationNational Portrait Gallery, London

Portrait of Frederick Burnaby is an 1870 portrait painting by the French artist James Tissot. It depicts the British army officer and celebrity Frederick Burnaby.[1] Burnaby became famous for his physical strength and his participation in hot air balloon experiments. He is shown in the uniform of a captain of the Royal Horse Guards. He was later killed in action at the Battle of Abu Klea in 1885 during the Gordon Relief Expedition.[2]

After moving to London Tissot became best-known for his genre paintings showing scenes of ordinary life. However this portrait was commissioned by the politician and magazine publisher Thomas Gibson Bowles, a friend of Burnaby. It was displayed at the International Exhibition held at South Kensington in 1872.[3] The painting is now in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery having been acquired in 1933.[4]

References

Bibliography

  • Gaunt, William. The Restless Century: Painting in Britain, 1800-1900. Phaidon, 1972.
  • Marshall, Nancy Rose & Warner, Malcolm. James Tissot: Victorian Life, Modern Love. Yale University Press, 1999.