Portrait of Charles Bedford as an infant
Oil Painting
1744-1745 (painted)
1744-1745 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This painting is one of numerous surviving portraits commissioned by Grosvenor Bedford (1708-1771), Horace Walpole’s deputy as usher of the Exchequer. The child depicted is Charles, born on 20th March 1742/3, one of twelve children of Bedford and his wife Jane Fox. It was painted by Francis Hayman RA, an artist whose works include portraits, book illustrations, history paintings and engravings. Hayman was the painter of numerous conversation pieces, theatrical scenes and decorations, including those for Vauxhall Gardens in the 1740s (two of which are now in the V&A collection).
This painting is interesting for its unusually intimate and informal pose - a departure from the formal conventions of portraiture in this period. Charles is shown wearing a simple nightgown, holding a rusk. This representation allows the viewer a glimpse into the life of upper class children of the mid-18th century.
Charles Bedford is depicted in three further paintings by Francis Hayman (two in private collections, one in Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter). The sitter’s father, Grosvenor Bedford, also commissioned Hayman on a number of family portraits such as ‘Grosvenor Bedford with His Family and Friends’ (1741 – 2). The relationship between the painter and his patron was so close that they are depicted together in a double portrait by Hayman from 1748 (now in National Portrait Gallery).
This painting is interesting for its unusually intimate and informal pose - a departure from the formal conventions of portraiture in this period. Charles is shown wearing a simple nightgown, holding a rusk. This representation allows the viewer a glimpse into the life of upper class children of the mid-18th century.
Charles Bedford is depicted in three further paintings by Francis Hayman (two in private collections, one in Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter). The sitter’s father, Grosvenor Bedford, also commissioned Hayman on a number of family portraits such as ‘Grosvenor Bedford with His Family and Friends’ (1741 – 2). The relationship between the painter and his patron was so close that they are depicted together in a double portrait by Hayman from 1748 (now in National Portrait Gallery).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Title | Portrait of Charles Bedford as an infant (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Oil on canvas. Carved and gilded frame. |
| Brief description | Portrait of Charles Bedford as an infant, oil on canvas, ca. 1745 by Francis Hayman, in a gilded frame. |
| Physical description | Oil painting, a portrait of a red-haired infant. The child is laid on his front, wearing a white garment, and is propped on a pillow upon a daybed. In his right hand he holds a rusk, he is staring directly at the viewer. The child's left leg is raised at the knee. The portrait is framed by the bed's green silk drapery and the child reclines on a pink silk quilt. The painting's frame is original, it is very finely carved in the Rococo style, and is gilded. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Unique |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Purchased with Art Fund support |
| Object history | Originally commissioned by Grosvenor Bedford in 1744 or 1745, the painting remained in the Bedford family’s possession through family descent until it was sold on behalf of the family by Woolley & Wallis in 2014 to John Mitchell Fine Paintings. It was purchased by the V&A in 2016. |
| Historical context | Francis Hayman (1708-1776) born in Exeter, was an artist whose works include portraits, book illustrations, history paintings and engravings. Hayman was the painter of numerous conversation pieces, theatrical scenes and decorations, including those for Vauxhall Gardens in the 1740s (two of which are now in the V&A collection). |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This painting is one of numerous surviving portraits commissioned by Grosvenor Bedford (1708-1771), Horace Walpole’s deputy as usher of the Exchequer. The child depicted is Charles, born on 20th March 1742/3, one of twelve children of Bedford and his wife Jane Fox. It was painted by Francis Hayman RA, an artist whose works include portraits, book illustrations, history paintings and engravings. Hayman was the painter of numerous conversation pieces, theatrical scenes and decorations, including those for Vauxhall Gardens in the 1740s (two of which are now in the V&A collection). This painting is interesting for its unusually intimate and informal pose - a departure from the formal conventions of portraiture in this period. Charles is shown wearing a simple nightgown, holding a rusk. This representation allows the viewer a glimpse into the life of upper class children of the mid-18th century. Charles Bedford is depicted in three further paintings by Francis Hayman (two in private collections, one in Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter). The sitter’s father, Grosvenor Bedford, also commissioned Hayman on a number of family portraits such as ‘Grosvenor Bedford with His Family and Friends’ (1741 – 2). The relationship between the painter and his patron was so close that they are depicted together in a double portrait by Hayman from 1748 (now in National Portrait Gallery). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.1-2016 |
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| Record created | March 7, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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