Horace Walpole
- Artist: Sir Joshua Reynolds
- Date: circa 1756-1757
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 50 1/8 in. x 40 1/8 in. (1272 mm x 1018 mm) overall
- Portrays: Horatio ('Horace') Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is a portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds, painted in oil on canvas around 1756‑1757. You’ll notice Walpole seated at a writing desk, the familiar type of study he kept for his literary work. His hand rests lightly on a quill, and in front of him hangs a print of an ancient Roman marble eagle that he acquired in 1745—an image that underscores his love of classical antiquities.
Reynolds’ brushwork is visible on the sitter’s face; the pale flesh and fine line of the cheek reflect both the subject’s “most unhealthy paleness” noted by contemporaries and the artist’s use of fugitive pigments. The background is simple, letting the desk’s details shine: a rolled manuscript, a small stack of letters, and a faint book on the table top.
Walpole was more than an Earl; he was a writer, collector, and socialite who later built Strawberry Hill, a little Gothic castle that reflected his architectural taste. This portrait captures that blend of intellect and leisure—his desk, the print, and the subtle light—all of which Reynolds rendered with lively realism.
See it in person
Horace Walpole 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.
