Edward Francis Burney – Portrait of Charles Burney D.D.

£750.00

1 in stock

This portrait was first thought to be of Charles Parr Burney as the label on the back of the picture dictates. However we have since been informed from the “Burney Society” that the portrait is of Charles Burney D.D. (1757-1817) cousin to the artist Edward Francis Burney (1760-1848).

Portrait of Charles Burney D.D. Watercolour over pencil with white highlights on paper, laid onto a contemporary wash-line mount. There are two paper labels which have been applied to the back of the original frame; the first is the framers label for Henry Hering of 137 Regent St. London. The second label is inscribed in pen and brown ink:

Charles Parr Burney D. D.
F. R. S (&?) son of Charles Burney
(…?) D Born 1758. Died 1817
Painted by E. F. Burney

The print shown in the photos is in the collection of the Royal Academy and is not included in the sale.

Watercolour: 6 11/16 x 5 9/16 in. (17.1 x 14.2 cm.)
Backing Mount: 8 x 7 in. (20.3 x 17.8 cm.)
Frame: 14 7/8 x 13 7/8 in. (37.8 x 35.3 cm.)

Other Examples:

Engraved: by William Sharp (1749-1824) line engraving, published 1 December 1821, plate size; 14 1/2 in. x 12 1/2 in. (36.7 cm x 31.6 cm). Portrait Set Wheatley’s London (Vol 1, part 3)

The sitter is dressed in robes most likely to receive the doctorate award. A similar watercolour to ours in the collection of the British Museum shows Burney in the same pose wearing a coat instead of the robe, see below.

BM Collection: Portrait of Charles Burney, D.D.; head and shoulders to front, head slightly to right and looking r, wearing jacket and cravat. Pen and brown ink, grey wash and watercolour on original wash mount: Registration number 1964,0613.2

 

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Burney, Edward Francis (1760-1848)

Description

Charles Burney, D.D. (1757-1817) was one of the most famous classical scholars of the 18th century, and ran a school in Hammersmith from 1786 which he moved to Greenwich in 1793. He took orders late in life, and was conferred with the degree of D.D. in 1812. His later years were devoted to the accumulation of a vast valuable library which after his death was sold to the nation and deposited in the British Museum under the name the ‘Burney Library’. Thirteen volumes of prints and drawings of theatrical interest are in the Dept. of Prints and Drawings (see User’s Guide). He was the son of Charles Burney, the historian of music, and the cousin of the artist Edward Francis Burney.

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Burney, Edward Francis (1760-1848)

Edward Francis (also known as Francesco or Francisco) Burney was born in Worcester on September 7, 1760. He was the son of Richard Burney (1723-1792) and Elizabeth Humphries (c.1720-1771), the brother of Charles Rousseau Burney (1747-1819), the nephew of Charles Burney (1726-1814), and a favourite cousin of Frances Burney (1752-1840) In 1776, at the age of 16, Edward became a student at the Royal Academy School of Art. He received encouragement from Joshua Reynolds, then-president of the school. Edward exhibited at the Royal Academy of Art from 1780 through 1803. His collection included historical pieces and portraits of friends and family, including his cousin Frances (he was apparently too shy to paint other sitters). Though he was a capable oil portraitist, Edward worked mainly as an illustrator. In 1780, he exhibited three drawings to accompany Frances Burney's Evelina, one of which was later engraved and incorporated into a 1791 edition of the novel. He went on to do a series of illustrations for Milton's Paradise Lost, which are now held by the Huntington Library. Edward was influenced by the satirical style of Hogarth. In the 1820s, Edward did a set of four large watercolours which satirized musical and social life of the time: The Waltz and The Elegant Establishment for Young Ladies (held by the Victoria and Albert Museum), and Amateurs of Tye-Wig Music and The Glee Club, or, The Triumph of Music (held by the Yale Center for British Art). An oil version of Amateurs of Tye-Wig Music is available to view online at the Tate Gallery. Burney died in London on December 16, 1848, at the age of 88, and was buried in Marylebone. He was unmarried.

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