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Benjamin Thompson was born in Massachusetts and became a school teacher in Rumford, New Hampshire. He joined the army but was suspected of supporting the British, which was correct but not proven. In 1776 he left for London, where he held a number of government posts. He later travelled to Europe where he worked for the Bavarian government, rising to be Minister of War, for which he was created a Count of the Holy Roman Empire. In the 1790s he returned to Britain where he experimented on the nature of heat, arguing that it was a mode of motion. He was also active in a number of good causes including helping to found the Royal Institution (Ri) in 1799. This painting was given to the Ri by Rumford’s daughter Sarah. It was stolen during a break-in in 1988.
Title
Benjamin Thompson (1753–1814), Count von Rumford
Date
late 18th C–early 19th C
Medium
oil on canvas
Accession number
RC 0183
Acquisition method
presented by the Countess Rumford, 1835, stolen
Work type
Painting