Untitled.
This is a photographic facsimile of a three-quarter length portrait of Henry Arthur Herbert (1815-1866) of Muckross. He is depicted standing and looking to viewer’s right. Herbert’s right hand rests upon a table, while his left rests upon his hip. Dated 1842 at bottom right.
Together with his wife Mary Balfour, Herbert was responsible for the building of the present Muckross House, which was completed in 1843. A portrait of Mary hangs immediately to the right (No. 6).
Artist: George Richmond, at bottom right. Richmond was born in London in 1809, and was the best-known member of a family of English painters. He studied at the Royal Academy and was one of the group of William Blake’s followers known as the Ancients. From about 1830 Richmond turned from poetic and religious themes to portraiture and became very successful. He was highly prolific and his account books list about 2,500 portrait paintings and drawings. Richmond died in London in 1896.