The Arctic Council Planning a Search for Sir John Franklin
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| The Arctic Council Planning a Search for Sir John Franklin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Stephen Pearce |
| Year | 1851 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait painting |
| Dimensions | 117.5 cm × 183.3 cm (46.3 in × 72.2 in) |
| Location | National Portrait Gallery, London |
The Arctic Council Planning a Search for Sir John Franklin is an 1851 oil painting by the British artist Stephen Pearce.[1] It depicts a scene at the Admiralty in London where members of the Arctic Council meet to plan a search for the lost expedition of John Franklin who in 1845 had attempted to discover a Northwest Passage through the Arctic Archipelago of Northern Canada By 1847 fears for Franklin and his men had grown and the following year three rescue missions were sent out to search for the expedition, who had perished in the arctic conditions. Despite its title it does not represent an actual historical meeting, and there was no formal Arctic Council, rather it portrays an imagined consultation with the most experienced figures who were involved in the search.
Depicted, from left to right, are:
- George Back
- William Edward Parry
- Edward Joseph Bird
- James Clark Ross
- Francis Beaufort (seated)
- John Barrow Jr.
- Edward Sabine
- William Baillie-Hamilton
- John Richardson
- Frederick William Beechey
The paintings in the background feature Franklin, James Fitzjames, and Sir John Barrow.[2]
It was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1853 at the National Gallery alongside two portraits by Pearce of John Rae and William Penny who had both taken part in the search for the Franklin expedition. Today the painting is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, having been bequeathed in 1899 by John Barrow Jr., who had commissioned the painting. [3]
