The Astronomers' Club

Image credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London

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Notes

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This painting of the Astronomers Club shows a group of men presumably attending a meeting of this generic ‘astronomers’ club’. One is looking through a large telescope facing another, presumably taking notes. A third man is looking through a smaller hand held telescope. Though it seems unlikely this painting is of a specific astronomy club it does typify a scene common in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century. Smirke was a popular artist in his day, best known for his depictions of scenes from Shakespeare's plays. He was a member of the Royal Academy, although his democratic and republican views meant that George III refused to ratify his election as keeper of the Royal Academy in 1804. There is a printed label on the back of the mahogany panel which reads: Royal Dublin Society Exhibition of Fine Arts, 1861 71E (mss) Received from 201 (mss) Name: Mr Sotheby (mss) Address: Wellington Street (mss)'.

National Maritime Museum

London

Title

The Astronomers' Club

Date

1770–1845

Medium

oil on mahogany panel

Measurements

H 23.5 x W 19 cm

Accession number

ZBA4409

Work type

Painting

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