Accession Number
2007/2.1

Title
Sir Foster Cunliffe, 3rd Bt. of Acton Park, Wrexham, Denbighshire

Artist(s)
John Hoppner

Artist Nationality
British (modern)

Object Creation Date
circa 1787-1810

Medium & Support
oil on canvas

Dimensions
105 1/2 in x 69 1/2 in x 5 in (267.97 cm x 176.53 cm x 12.7 cm);105 1/2 in x 69 1/2 in x 5 in (267.97 cm x 176.53 cm x 12.7 cm);94 in x 58 1/2 in (238.76 cm x 148.59 cm)

Credit Line
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund

Subject matter
Hoppner grew up in the court of King George II, even rummored to be his illegitimate son, and became an important potrait painter for the British aristocracy. After painting a potrait of the Baron's wife, Lady Cunliffe (1781-82, National Gallery of Art), Hoppner depicted Sir Foster Cunliffe at the hunt. Here, Cunliffe wears the uniform of the Royal Society of British Bowmen, a group he founded in 1787. This group was relatively progressive for the time period, as they included women among their membership. Cunliffe is shown in the picturesque landscape of his recently-acquired, titled estate (1785) Acton Park in Denbighshire, near Wrexham. His family's fortune came from trade, including participation in the slave trade before it was outlawed in Britain. Hoppner painted this portrait around the time that he was appointed as the official portrait painter to the Prince of Wales.

Physical Description
A full-length portrait of a standing male in a lanscape setting. To the left of the composition stands a pair of birches near the figure; to the right, the landscape opens up to a distant expanse of trees and hills. The man stands facing to the right but looking out of the canvas to the left. He holds a bow and quiver of arrows; a black hat with a feather is on the ground at his feet. He is dressed in tan pants and waistcoat with a green frock coat and black boots.

Primary Object Classification
Painting

Primary Object Type
portrait

Collection Area
Western

Rights
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit http://umma.umich.edu/request-image for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.

Keywords
archery
aristocracies
aristocracy (social class)
oil painting (technique)
portraits
slaves (people)
trees