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James Beattie, L.L.D.

Print
24/08/1775 (published)
Artist/Maker
Watson, James (engraver)
Boydell, John (publisher)
Reynolds, Joshua (Sir) (artist)
Place of origin
London (published)

Portrait, half-length, in doctor’s gown and bands, facing slightly left and holding a volume under left arm lettered 'Truth'. The sitter is shown on the right of the composition. To the left is an allegory, representing Truth suppressing the demons of Error: three shadowy figures cower as a winged female figure, holding scales, pushes them down with her right hand.


Object details

Categories
Prints
Portraits
Scotland
Object type
Print
TitleJames Beattie, L.L.D. (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Mezzotint on paper
Brief description
Half-length portrait of James Beattie, LLD, with an allegory of Truth suppressing the Demons of Error. Mezzotint by James Watson after Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1775.
Physical description
Portrait, half-length, in doctor’s gown and bands, facing slightly left and holding a volume under left arm lettered 'Truth'. The sitter is shown on the right of the composition. To the left is an allegory, representing Truth suppressing the demons of Error: three shadowy figures cower as a winged female figure, holding scales, pushes them down with her right hand.
Dimensions
  • Height: 36cm
  • Width: 41.2cm
Measured by SH 27/09/2010
Style
British School
Copy number
2nd state
Marks and inscriptions
'Joshua Reynolds eques pinxit. James Watson fecit. James Beattie, L.L.D. O magna Vis Veritatis, quae Cantr homnium ingenia, Calliditatem, Solertiam, contraque fictas omnium Insidias, facile se, per se ipse defendat! Cicero Published Augst. 24th 1775 by John Boydell Engraver in Cheapside London.' (Lettered)
Production
Reynolds' original portrait was painted in 1774.
Subjects depicted
Demons
Philosopher
Poet
Scales
Light
Beattie, James
Associated object
E.641-1959 (Version)
Bibliographic reference
Smith, John Chaloner. British Mezzotinto Portraits. London: Henry Sotheran & Co., 1883. Vol. 4, p. 1491.
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
25768

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O630585/james-beattie-lld-print-watson-james/
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