Portrait.

A full-length portrait of George Bridges Rodney (bap. 1718, d. 1792) in admiral’s undress uniform, 1783–87, with the sash and star of the Order of the Bath, leaning on his sword with his left hand and pointing with his right. He stands on the deck of his flagship – the ‘Formidable’, 98 guns – with captured French colours draped behind him and a burning ship in the distance. The setting alludes to the victory of Rodney’s fleet over the French at the Battle of the Saints, which took place off Dominica on 12 April 1782. Lettered beneath the image with the title, ‘The Right Honble. Lord Rodney K.B. Vice Adml. of Great Britain & Adml. of the White &c. &c. &c.’ Also lettered with the production details and publication line, ‘Painted by T. Gainsborough R.A. / Engraved by G. Dupont. / Published 12th. April, 1788. by B. Beale Evans in the Poultry, London.’ This portrait is after Thomas Gainsborough’s oil painting of 1783–6, which is now in the collection of the Earl of Rosebery. The print was engraved by the artist’s nephew and pupil Gainsborough Dupont and published by Benjamin Beale Evans on 12 April 1788. Gainsborough exhibited his painting at his studio in Schomberg House in an unfinished state in 1784, when it was described by the artist’s friend and publicist Henry Bate Dudley in the ‘Morning Herald’ newspaper (26 July 1784) as ‘One of the most powerful likenesses that ever was produced by the hand of a master. The character of the original features, lives in the portrait.’ Gainsborough then re-exhibited the finished painting, again at Schomberg House, in 1786. (Updated May 2019.)