Edmund Burke
- Artist: Sir Joshua Reynolds
- Date: circa 1769
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 29 3/4 in. x 24 3/4 in. (756 mm x 629 mm)
- Portrays: Edmund Burke
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
In this portrait titled “Edmund Burke” we see a man of about forty‑five, his face softened by gentle brushwork from Sir Joshua Reynolds’ studio. He wears a plain waistcoat and a subtle collar that frames a calm, thoughtful gaze. The canvas is roughly 30 inches tall and 25 across, its oil paint laid in loose strokes to give the skin a warm, almost translucent quality.
Reynolds was the first President of the Royal Academy, known for his clear yet airy style, and he produced over a thousand portraits. In this work he captures Burke’s modest but confident posture—typical of mid‑Georgian portraiture.
Burke himself was an influential statesman whose writings shaped early British politics. Though supportive of empire, he opposed the slave trade and blamed corporate greed for moral decay. This painting reflects that blend of public gravitas and personal humility, offering a window into late‑eighteenth‑century portrait conventions.
See it in person
Edmund Burke is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
