Sir George Beaumont
Detail from John Hoppner: 'Sir George Beaumont', 1803
Sir George (Howland) Beaumont (1753-1827) was the leading arbiter of artistic tastes in his day and a major sponsor behind the creation of the National Gallery.
Biography
Beaumont was Tory MP for Bere Alston in Devon between 1790-6. Thereafter he retired from politics to pursue his love of poetry and the fine arts.
Beaumont was a friend of the Lake Poets, especially of William Wordsworth whom he saw as a kindred spirit. He frequently lent Wordworth the use of his farm on his estate at Coleorton. Interestingly, where his interests in poetry were forward-looking, he was opposed to new trends in art.
Next: Patronage and influence
Paintings from the Beaumont Gift
Landscape with a Man washing his Feet at a Fountain
Nicolas Poussin
The Lamentation over the Dead Christ
Rembrandt
A Seated Man with a Stick
Follower of Rembrandt
The Return of the Ark
Sébastien Bourdon
A View of Het Steen in the Early Morning
Peter Paul Rubens
The Stonemason's Yard
Canaletto
See also
From the 1820s to the present day- History of the Gallery buildings
- List of previous Directors of the National Gallery and brief history of the role.
The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN