ARTWORKS

The Reverend William Beele (1704–1757)

Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792)

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts

The Reverend William Beele (1704–1757)

Image credit: The Henry Barber Trust, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham

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Notes

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William Beele was appointed a naval chaplain in 1727 and he was stationed at Devonport where this portrait was painted. He is shown half-length, framed by an oval-shaped stone niche which creates the illusion that we encounter him by chance. The artist has slightly enlarged the sitter’s features, increasing the work’s expressive power. Reynolds painted this portrait before his trip to Italy from 1749 to 1752, in the earliest stages of a highly successful career which included the presidency of the Royal Academy.

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts

Birmingham

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Title

The Reverend William Beele (1704–1757)

Date

c.1748–1749

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 76.2 x W 63.5 cm

Accession number

69.10

Acquisition method

purchased, 1969

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TS England

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Artist or maker

Joshua Reynolds

1723–1792

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