# William Pitt

**Gainsborough Dupont** (British, 1754–1797)  
1787/1796  
oil on board  
overall: 15.5 x 12.4 cm (6 1/8 x 4 7/8 in.) framed: 29.8 x 27.6 x 5 cm (11 3/4 x 10 7/8 x 1 15/16 in.)

Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1970.17.120. [The museum's record](https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.52264.html).

## About this work

William Pitt the Younger, who became prime minister in 1783 at the age of twenty-four, is shown half-length in a dark coat with red lapels and brass buttons, his face turned towards us. Gainsborough Dupont, nephew and assistant of Thomas Gainsborough, painted Pitt more than once, and likenesses of the statesman were much in demand among his supporters. The thin, quick handling on board gives the portrait an informal, sketch-like freshness.

_Written by Ochre Editions._

Gainsborough Dupont painted this in 1787/1796, aged about 33. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

### What you’re looking at

The image depicts a portrait of an individual with the upper half of their body visible. The person is facing forward with their head slightly turned to the side, looking directly at the viewer. They have a fair complexion, with distinct facial features, including a rounded face and closed lips. The hair is styled in an 18th-century manner, with curls around the ears. They are wearing a dark coat with red lapels and brass buttons, over a white shirt with ruffled details. There are no visible jewelry or objects in their hands. The background is a textured, earth-toned surface.

_Description from the National Gallery of Art._

### How it was made

- **Oil paint.** Pigment ground in a drying oil, usually linseed. It dries slowly, so painters could blend on the canvas, build up thin translucent glazes, and rework a picture over weeks. Canvas replaced wooden panels in the 1500s because it is lighter and can be rolled.

### [Gainsborough Dupont](https://www.ochreeditions.com/artists/gainsborough-dupont)

British, 1754–1797

Gainsborough Dupont was the nephew of Thomas Gainsborough and his only known apprentice, trained in his uncle’s studio in Bath and then London, where he absorbed his style closely. He made mezzotints after Gainsborough’s portraits and, after his uncle’s death in 1788, carried on the practice in a similar manner, painting William Pitt the Younger several times as well as many fashionable sitters.

_Written by Ochre Editions._

## Facts

- Type: Painting
- The artist was about 33
- Real size: about 6 × 5 in (16 × 12 cm). The original is small: even the 8 × 10 in print shows it larger than life.
- Century: 18th century
- Subjects: male, Pitt, William
- Colour: brown
- Rights: public domain (CC0 1.0); free to use for any purpose.

## Get it

- Free download, full resolution: https://img.ochreeditions.com/m/1551.jpg?dl=1
- Image: https://img.ochreeditions.com/a/1551/1920.jpg
- Giclée reproduction on Hahnemühle Photo Rag: 8 × 10 in $28; 11 × 14 in $38; 12 × 16 in $42; 16 × 20 in $56; 18 × 24 in $68; 20 × 30 in $86; 24 × 36 in $108
- Framed reproduction: 8 × 10 in $78; 11 × 14 in $98; 12 × 16 in $108; 16 × 20 in $138; 18 × 24 in $164; 20 × 30 in $208; 24 × 36 in $258
- Canvas reproduction: 8 × 10 in $58; 11 × 14 in $72; 12 × 16 in $79; 16 × 20 in $98; 18 × 24 in $118; 20 × 30 in $148
- Print-ready file: 8 × 10 in $2; 11 × 14 in $2; 12 × 16 in $3; 16 × 20 in $3; 18 × 24 in $3; 20 × 30 in $5; 24 × 36 in $5

Sizes stop where the museum's file would print below 150 pixels per inch. Everything sold is a reproduction, made to order. [Order a print](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/william-pitt-nga-52264).