James Legge Willis (1761-1817)
Sir William Beechey (Burford 1753 - Hampstead 1839)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1798
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1270 x 1015 mm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Clevedon Court, North Somerset
NT 624180
Caption
The sitter is James Willis, here, as Consul-General of Senegambia, examining a plan inscribed BAMBOUK and signed J. RENNEL / 1798. He is dressed in a white powdered wig, tied with a black silk ribbon, a scarlet cloak with gold frogging and white stock, and cream breeches. His papers on the table are inscribed: COMMUNICATIONS / MR LEDYARD'S AND AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY. In the shadowed background instead of the standard English parkscape, is a bit of African forest with a lion nonchalantly on the prowl, although the portrait was painted in London, for the benefit of posterity it is an interesting example of wish-fulfilment. He was the third son of Richard Willis (1724-1780) and Bethia Legge (1734-1778). In 1795 he married Flora Wynch (1776-1842) and their daughter Rhoda Susan Willis (1809-1873) was the second wife of Sir Athur Hallam Elton 7th Bt MP (1818-1883) which is its connection to Clevedon Court.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, James Legge Willis (1761-1817) by Sir William Beechey, RA (Burford 1753 – Hampstead 1839), circa 1798. A three-quarter-length portrait of James Willis, as Consul-General of Senegambia, in middle-age, standing, turned to the left, examining a map/plan, which he holds with both hands. He has on a white powdered wig, tied at the back with a black silk ribbon. He is dressed in a scarlet cloak with gold frogging and white stock and cream breeches. The map/plan is inscribed BAMBOUK and is signed J. RENNEL / 1798., while the papers on the table are inscribed: COMMUNICATIONS / MR LEDYARD'S AND AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY. In the shadowed background at the left of the picture, instead of the standard English parkscape, is a bit of an African forest with a lion nonchalantly on the prowl. The portrait would seem in fact to have been painted in London, for the benefit of posterity, and is an interesting example of wish-fulfilment. Third son of Richard Willis (1724-1780) and Bethia Legge (1734-1778); married in 1795, Flora Wynch (1776-1842), their daughter Rhoda Susan Willis (1809-1873) was the second wife of Sir Athur Hallam Elton 7th Bt MP (1818-1883).
Provenance
Bequest of Colonel Richard ffolliot Willis, 1956 formerly lent to Lydiard Tregoze, Swindon; transferred to Clevedon Court in 1984
Credit line
Clevedon Court, Colonel Richard ffolliot Willis Bequest (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
Centre left : Plan held by sitter inscribed BAMBOUK and signed J. RENNEL / 1798., while the papers on the table are inscribed: COMMUNICATIONS / MR LEDYARD'S AND AFRICAN GEOGRAPHY. Label on back described by Ellis Waterhouse, 1980.: A label which says it is by William Beechey, that the sitter was 'Governour of Gambia' and that it was painted in 1816.
Makers and roles
Sir William Beechey (Burford 1753 - Hampstead 1839), artist
References
Waterhouse 1980: Ellis K. Waterhouse, 'The Willis Family Portraits at Lydiard Park' National Trust Studies, 1980, pp.49-53, p.48. illus Fig.1. p.51. Laing 2003-4 Alastair Laing, 'A Tale of a Palace, Four Houses and One Collection', The Royal Oak Newsletter, Americans in Alliance with the National Trust, Winter 2003-4, pp.16-17 , p.17