William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, Later fourth Duke of Devonshire
Date:
1741
Materials & Techniques:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
29 7/8 x 25 inches (75.9 x 63.5 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1981.25.358
Gallery Label:
William Hogarth’s portraits were admired by the professional class but had little appeal to aristocrats, perhaps because of their unflattering directness and bold handling of paint. This is consequently a very rare portrait of a noble sitter, the eldest son of the Duke of Devonshire and future head of one of Britain’s most powerful families. Among Hogarth’s finest portraits, it demonstrates his extraordinary, and largely self-taught, skill as a painter. It even retains what is probably its original frame, an exceptional example of the French Régence style. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016