George Frideric Handel
- Artist: Balthasar Denner
- Date: 1726-1728
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 29 1/2 in. x 24 5/8 in. (749 mm x 626 mm)
- Portrays: George Frideric Handel
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is an early portrait of the composer George Frideric Handel, painted by Balthasar Denner between 1726 and 1728. You see Handel’s face in a feigned oval canvas rendered in oil on canvas. Denner, another German artist, captured him with realistic detail: his profile, eyes, and the subtle light on his robes. The painting is about 750 mm wide by 626 mm tall—a modest size that invites close inspection. It was likely painted after Handel had settled in Britain, arriving there in 1710 to work as an opera composer for the theatre. This portrait is considered the earliest image of the man who wrote the celebrated *Messiah*.
See it in person
George Frideric Handel 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.
