Rear-Admiral Richard Kempenfelt

A three-quarter-length portrait of Richard Kempenfelt (1718–1782) in rear-admiral’s undress uniform, circa 1774–83, with a sword at his hip. He rests his arms on the top of a telescope with two ships in the background on the right and rocks on the left. Lettered below the image with the title, ‘Rear Admiral Richard Kempenfelt’, and a facsimile of the sitter’s signature. Also lettered with the publication details: ‘Painted by Kettle. / Engraved by H. Robinson. / Fisher, Son & Company, London & Paris.’ This portrait was engraved by Henry Robinson after an original painting by Tilly Kettle in the Greenwich Hospital Collection (see BHC2818). The engraver has reduced Kettle’s full-length depiction of the sitter to a three-quarter-length format. Kettle’s painting was produced in early 1782 and exhibited at the Royal Academy in May of that year, shortly before Kempenfelt drowned when the ‘Royal George’, 100 guns, sank at Spithead in August 1782. This print was published by Fisher, Son and Company. It is a reprint with new lettering of the plate originally issued 1 October 1831 by Harding and Lepard in E. H. Locker's 'Memoirs of Celebrated Naval Commanders...' (1831/2). (Updated April 2019.)

Object Details

ID: PAD8260
Type: Print
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Blaisot, H; Kettle, Tilly H Fisher, Son & Co
Date made: 1840
People: Kempenfelt, Richard
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Sheet: 250 mm x 185 mm