William Draper Best, 1st Baron Wynford (1767-1845) judge and politician
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About the work
- Location
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Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Art Collection
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About the artist
Henry William Pickersgill was a sought-after British portrait painter. He entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1806 and exhibited at the Royal Academy from this year until 1872. Although known for his portraits, he also produced landscapes, scenes from the works of Shakespeare and Byron, and genre figure paintings. He was elected a Royal Academician in 1826 and in 1856 he assumed the role of librarian to the Royal Academy, a position he held until his death in 1875.
Engraver William Say was born at Lakeham, Norwich; the son of a land steward. He was raised by an aunt after both his parents died before he was six. In 1788 he moved to London and, from 1791, studied under engraver James Ward. Say became one of the first engravers to work on a steel, rather than copper. After engraving portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in 1807, he was appointed their official engraver. Say also engraved works for J. M. W. Turner’s series ‘The Rivers of England’ (1823-27) and Sir John Ross’s ‘Narrative of a Second Voyage’ (1835). In total he published 335 prints, an almost complete set of which were presented to the British Museum by his son in 1852. Say died at home in Weymouth Street, Westminster, aged 66.
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Explore
- Places
- Subjects
- male portrait, judge, Baron, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Member of Parliament, Privy Counsellor
- Materials & Techniques
- mezzotint
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Details
- Title
- William Draper Best, 1st Baron Wynford (1767-1845) judge and politician
- Date
- Medium
- Mezzotint
- Acquisition
- Purchased from Mrs Dorothy Lane, February 1958
- GAC number
- 4500