Colonel John Dyke Acland (1746-1778)
Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1769 - 1771 (inscribed)
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1232 x 1003 mm (48 1/2 x 39 1/2 in)
Order this imageCollection
Killerton, Devon
NT 922316
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Colonel John Dyke Acland (1746-1778) by Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792), inscribed bottom left : Colonel Acland/ 1771. A three-quarter length portrait, wearing a scarlet coat, waistcoat and breeches, leaning on a stone pedestal. Portrait of a young man, three-quarter length, standing, leaning on the stone plinth of a stone pillar, turned to the left in full profile. In a powdered wig, wearing a red suit composed of coat, waistcoat, buttoned to the top and breeches. Simple white stock. A gilt sword hilt can be seen near the fingers of his left hand. A tricorn hat (?), black with silver braiding lies on the plinth on the left. A red brocade drape and strings with a tassel fall to the left of the pillar and is draped on the plinth. The background on the centre and right is composed of trees and a view of the sky. Soldier; eldest son of Sir Thomas Acland 7th Bt (1722-1785) and Elizabeth Dyke (d.1753). He was a colonel in the Devon Militia. He married on 23rd June 1770 Lady Harriet Fox-Strangways daughter of the 1st Earl of Ilchester. Their son was Sir John Dyke Acland 8th Bt (1778-1785) and their daughter Kitty Dyke Acland who married the 2nd Earl of Carnarvon. .(1 of a pair - see KIL/P/83).
Provenance
Acquired from Acland , 2001 Exhibited London, National Gallery Exhibition along with Harriet his wife 1868, nos 844 and 865 Royal Academy ,1882 nos 43 and 40
Makers and roles
Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA (Plympton 1723 - London 1792), artist
References
Works by the Old Masters and Deceased Masters of the British School (exh cat), Royal Academy, London, 2 January - 11 March 1882, No.43 Catalogue of the Third and Concluding Special Exhibition of National Portraits, commencing with the fourth year of the reign of George the Third and ending with the year MDCCCLXVII. South Kensington Museum. April 13, 1868., No.844 Graves and Cronin 1899-1901 Algernon Graves and W.V.Cronin, A History of the Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, 4 vols, London 1899-1901, i, 7. Waterhouse 1941 Ellis K. Waterhouse, Reynolds, London, 1941, No.62 Mannings 2000: David Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds: A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings. The Subject Pictures catalogued by Martin Postle, New Haven & London 2000, "35. ACLAND, Clonel John Dyke (1746-78) Soldier; eldest son of Sir Thomas Acland, 3rd Bt., and his wife, Elizabeth Dyke; Col. in the Devon Militia; married 3 June 1770 Lady Harriot Fox-Strangways. fig.995 PRIVATE COLLECTION 127x101cm PROVENANCE: By descent to Sir Francis Dyke Acland, Bt; at Killerton until 1970 EXHIBITED: South Kensington 1868 (844); RA 1882 (43). LITERATURE: Graves and Cronin i, 7; W[aterhouse, Reynolds, 1941] 62. ENGRAVED: S W Reynolds (S Cousins). Painted 1769-71. Wearing a red suit. On 18 Nov. 1766, Reynolds made a note: 'Write to / to Mr Ackland' [sic] but sittings are not recorded until 1769 when we find appointments with Mr Acland on Jan.24 (at one o'clock), 25 (ten thirty), 27 (at one), 28 (at eleven), 30 (midday), Feb 2 (midday), 9 (at eleven), 15 (midday), 22 (eleven thirty), 28 (at one), Mar 6 (twelve thirty), 21 (midday), Aug 5 (probably at one, not clear). His name does not appear in 1770 but there are further appointments in 1771 on Mar 27, Apr 4 and 15 (all at three o'clock), and Apr 18 (at two). on 4 May 1771 Reynodls jotted a memorandum: 'Send for the Picture [of] Mr Ackland.' Some of the 1769 appointments could well be for The Archers rather than for this picture (see 41). In the 1st Ledger, sums of 70 gns are entered as due (not as paid) against the names of Mr Acland and Lady Harriot, after 12 Apr 1771, but both entries are cancelled (Cormac 1970, 109). Settlement is recorded in the 2nd Ledger. A payment of 70 gns from Mr Acland was made betwen 12 May 1772 and Sep 1775 (Cormac 1970, 144)."