Augustus John Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol (1724-1779)
Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1762
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1665 x 1370 mm (frame)
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Ickworth, Suffolk
NT 852008
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Augustus John Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol (1724-1779) by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792). 1762. Depicted in the uniform of a Captain in the Royal Navy, this portrait celebrates Hervey's involvement in the recent attack on Moro Castle at San Sebastian in Havana, Cuba, shown in the background. His sword is silhouetted dramatically against the smoke-filled sky, while his left hand rests on a plan of the distant castle with the dispositions of the British squadron including the names of the principal ships involved. His face and chest are strikingly spot-lit as if illuminated by a flash of gunpowder.
Provenance
On loan from Bury St Edmunds Museum Service.
Makers and roles
Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792), publisher