John Hamilton Mortimer

George Thompson, his Wife and (?) his Sister-in-Law

c.1766–8

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

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Not on display

Artist: John Hamilton Mortimer 1740–1779
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 997 × 1260 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Bequeathed by Mrs Elizabeth Carstairs 1952
Reference: N06158

Display caption

The group shows Lt. Col. George Thompson and his wife, who have been reading the collected works of the satirical poet Charles Churchill. A lady visitor, carrying her reticule and flowers, interrupts their slippered ease. From the casual gesture with which Thompson motions her towards a chair, one can assume that she is a close relation.The cosy domesticity displayed here is the essence of the small-scale informal group portrait or conversation piece. It is not surprising that Mortimer, who was also a painter of lively theatrical scenes, endows the present portrait with a stage like presence – perhaps even incorporating a hidden joke.

Gallery label, May 2007

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