Two of the Duke of Bedford's Sons and Miss Vernon acting out 'Saint George and the Dragon'
after Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1777 (after)
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
457 x 413 mm (18 x 16 1/4 in)
Order this imageCollection
Attingham Park, Shropshire
NT 609078
Caption
The actors are Francis, 5th Duke of Bedford (1765-1802), with his brothers, Lord John Russell (1766-1839) later 6th Duke of Bedford, Lord William Russell (1767-1840), and Caroline Vernon, later Mrs Robert Percy Smith (b.1762). Lord William Russell (bottom right) was so frightened at being painted that he crouched in a corner of the studio. Reynolds said, ‘Stay as you are, my little fellow’, and painted him so. The picture was praised by the critic in the Morning Post for drawing, colouring and composition; however, the sky was ‘a miserable daub indeed’. Francis and William both met an early demise: the former died when struck by a ball during a game of tennis; and the latter was murdered by his valet, Courvoisier. The painting is a copy of that destroyed by fire, whilst in the collection of the Earl of Jersely at Osterley (now National Trust).
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Children of the Bedford family and Miss Vernon acting out 'Saint George and the Dragon' after Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792). Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford (1765-1802) with his brothers Lord John Russell (1766-1839) later 6th Duke of Bedford, Lord William Russell (1767-1840), and Caroline Vernon, later Mrs Robert Percy Smith (b.1762). Four full-length figures, and a dragon, the dragon occupying the lower left portion of the picture, its wings spread and its tail wrapped around a tree truck left; figures left to right, young female, turned to right, looking down on dragon in front of her, both her hands raised in surprise, wearing a white dress with a blue sash, hair dressed high with flowers, the three boys on the right are dressed in Roman costume with open sandals, buff costumes with blue trim and red cloaks, the central figure is turned slightly to left, striding forward with his left foot, his left arm which is raised behind his head holds a shield, his right holds a sword the tip of which is in the head of the dragon, behind him on the left is another boy bent forward to centre, looking up at him with his right arm extended towards the dragon, the third boy is on the far right, turned to left, crouching, his left knee on the ground, his face turned to the spectator; behind the three boys is a tall embankment on top of which can be seen the roots and lower trunks of trees.Miss Caroline Vernon was a daughter of Henry Vernon of Hilton Park, Stafford, and sister of Anne, wife of the 1st Lord Berwick. Henry Vernon, who married Lady Henrietta Wentworth (daughter of the 1st Earl of Strafford), had three sons and five daughters, the eldest of whom became Lady Berwick, and the second, Henrietta, wife of Richard, Earl Grosvenor. The three others were Lucy, Jane and Caroline, the latter being depicted in this painting. The original painting of 1776-1777, commissioned by Richard Rigby (1722 - 1788) was acquired by Henry Drummond at auction in 1789 and given to Lady Sarah Fane, Countess of Jersey who it hung at Osterley Park; 1949, removed to Jersey where it was destroyed by fire.
Provenance
Bequeathed to the National Trust in 1947 with the estate, house and contents of Attingham by Thomas Henry Noel-Hill, 8th Baron Berwick (1877-1947) on 15th May 1953.
Credit line
Attingham Park, The Berwick Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
after Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792), publisher
References
Holdaway 2010: Derek Holdaway, "St George Tragedies and a Collection in Flames", National Trust Arts/Buildings/Collections Bulletin, Spring Issue, April 2010, p. 4 illus.