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Georgian Britain

Portraits, conversation pieces and watercolour landscapes from Hogarth to Constable.

63 works · hang 755 ·

The rooms are imagined; every work on their walls is real.

Walk this roomRehang this room

Section 1, north wall

  1. This is a drawing of a bird perched on a branch. The bird is detailed and identified as "Turtur Risorius." It rests on a green textured branch against a plain background. The bird has a black ring around its neck, soft brown plumage with intricate feather patterns, and light pink legs. Its eye is prominent and outlined within its head design. The branch is minimalist with small buds and thin twigs.
    Turtur RisoriusWilliam Home LizarsCourtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Armies of men march and battle along a rocky outcropping set among huge rock formations and massive buildings under a stormy sky in this horizontal landscape painting. The people we can see all have pale skin. Sheets of rain fall from flint-gray clouds on our left into a valley, though hints of peach brighten the clouds along the mountainous horizon there. In the right half of the sky, light pours down from a brilliant white sun that breaks through white clouds to reveal topaz-blue patches of sky. The horizon comes about halfway up the composition and is lined with rugged white, pale pink, and olive-green mountains on our left and silvery-white buildings along the right half. These structures include two domed buildings and a colosseum among many others. The buildings are all enclosed within city walls buttressed with towers. The land dips precipitously from the rocky cliffs supporting the buildings, to sweep down toward us. A huge outcropping angles up like a ramp between us and the buildings in the distance. A road runs from the walled town toward us, down along the ridge and in front of the outcropping. Countless warriors march in rows of four or five across on the road past a man wearing a feathered helmet and armored breastplate. This man, Joshua, stands on a rocky precipice facing away from us with his right hand raised. He wears a scarlet-red toga under his breastplate, and a royal-blue cape flutters at his left side. He holds a round, copper-colored shield and a spear in his other hand. Two men with gray beards stand near Joshua with their backs to us. Both gesture up to the sky. One holds a slender staff and the other a curling horn. They and another pair of men, who stoop to hold poles used to carry a chest, all wear long, ivory-white robes, cherry-red drapery, and white turbans. The column of soldiers on foot and horseback pass in front of Joshua to a massive battlefield to our left. The fight takes place in a valley that leads back to a river. A bolt of lightning zigzags from the storm clouds and strikes a city in the deep distance. The artist signed the painting in the lower right, “J. Martin.”
    Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon GibeonJohn Martin, 1816Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. A work made of engraved letterhead, pen and ink calligraphy, and graphite ruling on parchment, folded with strap and (missing) seal.
    Recovery Document (Land Title Grant)Unrecorded British maker, 1702/14 (Queen Anne period)Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 1, south wall

  1. A work made of pen and black ink and brush and black ink wash, with touches of pen and brown ink, on ivory laid paper.
    Hannah Presenting Samuel to EliJohn Flaxman, c. 1783Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island, Northumberland, by Thomas Girtin, 1796–97
    Lindisfarne Castle, Holy Island, NorthumberlandThomas Girtin, 1796–97Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. From a rocky shoreline, we look on several light-skinned people working by the sea with a boat and a net in this freely painted, almost square seascape. The scene is framed by a silhouette of low boulders along the lower right corner, and a towering cream-white rock rising two-thirds of the way up the composition to our left. Scrubby, celery-green vegetation grows on the rocky outcropping. Near the center, close to the towering white rocks, three people sit, reaching for something near one end of a boat while a fourth person braces against the rock, presumably to push the boat out to the sea. Closer to us, three people on the shore work with a net. Two stand with the net hooked over their shoulders, and a third person crouches in the water with head down. The people all wear simple shirts and pants in shades of tan, mustard yellow, burnt orange, and pale blue. All but two wear hats. The sea meets the shore with frothy white foam and cresting, low waves. The sea beyond fades from pale sage green to arctic blue along the horizon, which comes about a third of the way up the composition. Two sail boats tilt against the wind in the distance. Pale, smoky lavender-purple clouds drift across the ice-blue sky.
    Seashore with FishermenThomas Gainsborough, c. 1781/1782Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. This drawing depicts multiple figures in a forest setting. An angelic figure hovers at the top with wings outstretched. The forest below is filled with intricately detailed trees. Figures on the ground are in dynamic poses, one showing surprise or fear, and another reaching upwards. The composition is detailed with flowing garments and textured foliage, evoking tension and animation.
    The Death of Saint Peter MartyrJohn Baptist Jackson, 1739Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 2, south wall

  1. Large English country landscape painting, farmers with horses, green trees.
    Stoke-by-NaylandJohn Constable, 1836Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  2. A work made of brush and black ink wash, with pen and black ink and opaque white and gray watercolor, on cream laid paper.
    A Hero Born on a Bier, from The Master of Giants PortfolioPrince Hoare, 1779Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago
  3. A work made of engraving in black ink with opaque and translucent watercolor on cream laid paper.
    July, from Twelve Months of FlowersHenry Fletcher, n.d.Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago

Section 2, north wall

  1. This is a drawing showing a pig performing a trick for an audience. It depicts a group of people watching the pig interacting with cards on the floor. The detailed image shows the varied facial expressions of the audience members. There is text at the top of the image suggesting the pig has a unique ability, possibly related to languages. The drawing captures a moment of entertainment in a satirical style, with lines and cross-hatching used to emphasize the humor.
    The Wonderful PigThomas Rowlandson, 1785Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. This painting shows a serene pastoral scene with trees, a wooden gate, and foliage extending towards the horizon. Closest to us, there is a low riverbank with some tree branches in the water. Up a grassy dirt hill, two donkeys are visible off to the right, partially hidden by vegetation. On the left, a dirt path leads to the wooden gate. To the left of the gate, two people sit on the grass with a wicker basket between them. The tall trees that rise in the background have leaves in shades of green, yellow, and dark orange. The sky above the scene is yellow with some hints of light blue, and golden light shines down on the landscape.
    Landscape with Picnickers and Donkeys by a GateJoseph Paul, c. 1830-1880Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. 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.
    William PittGainsborough Dupont, 1787/1796Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 3, north wall

  1. Elizabeth Farren (born about 1759, died 1829), Later Countess of Derby, by Thomas Lawrence, 1790
    Elizabeth Farren (born about 1759, died 1829), Later Countess of DerbyThomas Lawrence, 1790Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. The image shows a landscape with a rolling hill in the foreground sloping downward. The horizon is high, providing a view over fields and sky. Sheep graze on the hill, tended by a person. A large, dark tree is on the right. Brushstrokes vary in the sky and land, with broad strokes for clouds and finer ones for grass and foliage. The color palette is mainly black, white, and shades of grey, highlighting light and shadow.
    NoonDavid Lucas, 1830Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. Small Landscape, ca. 1750-1800
    Small LandscapeUnrecorded British maker, ca. 1750-1800Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum