Portrait of Henry Pelham
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| Portrait of Henry Pelham | |
|---|---|
| Artist | William Hoare |
| Year | 1751 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait painting |
| Dimensions | 127 cm × 101.6 cm (50 in × 40.0 in) |
| Location | National Portrait Gallery, London |
Portrait of Henry Pelham is a 1751 portrait painting by the British artist William Hoare.[1] It depicts the English Whig politician Henry Pelham who was Prime Minister from 1743 to his death in 1754.[2] He is shown at three-quarters length wearing the robes of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Hoare was a noted portraitist based in Bath, but this picture was produced during a short-lived move to work in the capital. Back in Bath he and Thomas Gainsborough became rivals, producing portraits for the fashionable elite.[3] Today the painting is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London, having been acquired in 1866. A mezzotint based on the painting was produced in 1752 by the Irish engraver Richard Houston.[4]