Not on display

John Purling (1727-1801)

Oil Painting
ca. 1770-1780 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Gainsborough moved to London in 1774. The lively brushwork of this portrait is typical of his late style. At this time, his usual fee for such a portrait was £31 10s. The subject is John Purling. He was a director of the East India Company and was elected an MP in 1772.

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleJohn Purling (1727-1801) (popular title)
Materials and techniques
oil on canvas
Brief description
Oil painting, 'John Purling', Thomas Gainsborough, ca. 1770-ca. 1780
Physical description
Bust length portrait of John Purling (1722-1800), in an oval. John Purling was a director of the East India Company. He was a candidate in the notoriously corrupt Shoreham Election of 1770, and was elected an MP in 1772.
Dimensions
  • Estimate height: 75.2cm
  • Estimate width: 63.5cm
Dimensions taken from departmental object file
Style
Credit line
Bequeathed by Mrs G. M. Spear
Object history
Provenance : Family descent to Hastings N. Middleton, 1871; Middleton sale, Sotheby's 18/6/1952, lot 47, bt. Leger; 1957, Mrs G. M. Spear. Bequeathed by Mrs G. M. Spear, 1970
Subject depicted
Summary
Gainsborough moved to London in 1774. The lively brushwork of this portrait is typical of his late style. At this time, his usual fee for such a portrait was £31 10s. The subject is John Purling. He was a director of the East India Company and was elected an MP in 1772.
Associated object
Bibliographic reference
Walter Armstrong, "Thomas Gainsborough", 1898, p.201. Ellis Waterhouse, "Gainsborough", 1966 ed., p.86, No.566, colour pl. p.28. Repr. "The Connoisseur, Dec. 1954, p.260.
Collection
Accession number
P.28-1970

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Record createdJuly 26, 2003
Record URL
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