Sir John Floyd on horseback

Sitter Sir John Floyd, 1st Baronet British

1800–14

Not on view

Westall did not visit India, but relied on visual information supplied by others to portray a British cavalry officer in the mountains of Mysore. With accurate details of uniform and visage, a dynamic pose, and a dramatic setting, he adapted to a smaller scale a Romantic portrait type recently devised by the artist’s friend Thomas Lawrence. Floyd had distinguished himself fighting the Mysore ruler Tipu Sultan in 1790–92 and 1799. This portrait was likely commissioned soon after the sitter returned to England in 1800, when Westall’s reputation was at its height. An 1814 exhibition prompted a critic to note, "The honor which Great Britain has derived from the discovery of the art of painting in transparent water colours . . . is in great degree to be ascribed to Mr. Westall."

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Sir John Floyd on horseback
Artist: Richard Westall (British, Reepham, Norfolk 1765–1836 London)
Sitter: Sir John Floyd, 1st Baronet (British, 1748–1818 London)
Date: 1800–14
Medium: Watercolor
Dimensions: sheet: 7 3/8 x 6 1/4 in. (18.8 x 15.8 cm)
Classification: Drawings
Credit Line: Gift of Roberta J. M. Olson and Alexander B. V. Johnson, 2011
Object Number: 2011.564.1
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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