Pompeo Batoni - George Legge, vizconde de Lewisham

Pompeo Batoni. George Legge Visconde de Levisham. Batoni studied the antiquities and the heritage of Renaissance and Baroque Classicism and gained international fame thanks to his effigies of foreign travelers, highly demanded by the travelers of the Grand Tour. This cultural journey through Europe, and in particular through Classical Italy, was part of the formation of the aristocracy, embodied perfectly in this work by the British George Legge Visconde de Levisham and Third Count of Darmouth. In his portraits of an impeccable technical invoice, Batoni inserts elements alluding to the journey, in this case the bust of Faustina Minor and the map of Italy. Batoni adapted to the taste of his clients, adopting the influence of the British portrait of Eudor de Van Dyck. The work comes from the cargo of the Westmoreland, a British ship seized by the French. In 1783, Charles III acquired part of his cargo, from which come the two canvases of Pompeo Batoni found in the Museo del Prado.