Lord Henry Charles George Gordon-Lennox (1821-1886): “A Man of Fashion and Politics”
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About the work
- Location
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Country: UK
City: London
Place: Department for International Trade, Old Admiralty Building
This cartoon, published in Vanity Fair, shows a political figures who served under Benjamin Disraeli. It is part of a series of 332 caricatures which Pellegrini produced for the well-known magazine.
Lord Henry was a British Conservative politician who sat in the House of Common between 1846 and 1885. He is shown here as a tall and slightly bent forward figure, with his hair carefully combed and unruly whiskers. Adopting a meditative pose, he is about to put on a white glove to match his elegant black frock adorned with a white flower He is described as ‘A Man of Fashion and Politics’.
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About the artist
Carlo Pellegrini, born in Capua, in Italy, was descended from an aristocratic family. He was just five feet two inches, with a large head and small feet. He became a popular figure of Neapolitan society, producing humorous caricatures of friends, despite apparently having no artistic training. In 1860 he joined the forces of Garibaldi and fought against the Bourbons. He then left Italy, arriving in London in 1864, where he joined the Prince of Wales’ set. His first illustration for ‘Vanity Fair’ was commissioned by T. G. Bowles in 1868 and he continued to work for Bowles under the ‘nom de crayon’ Ape. Influenced by Whistler, he unsuccessfully attempted to paint portraits. He produced 332 ‘Vanity Fair’ caricatures before his death, aged 49.
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Explore
- Places
- Subjects
- male portrait, moustache, 19th century costume, suit, trousers, glove, caricature, cartoon
- Materials & Techniques
- lithograph, colour lithograph
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Details
- Title
- Lord Henry Charles George Gordon-Lennox (1821-1886): “A Man of Fashion and Politics”
- Date
- 1870
- Medium
- Colour lithograph
- Acquisition
- origin uncertain; old Ministry of Works acquisition, pre-1946
- GAC number
- 0/256/6