Elizabeth Gordon Duchess of Gordon

William Fisk 1796 -1872, was an English born portrait and history painter. Although born in 1796 he didn't start his artistic career until after 1826, after the birth of his son William Henry Fisk. He exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institution regularly, with his history paintings he took great care to detail costume characteristics which is shown here within the composition, a contemporary headdress familiar of the times but somewhat missing in the present depictions of the era. There are a great many paintings of the period in the 19th Century, the Regency style much adored in the upper realms of 20th and 21st Century inhabitants, but few showing the accoutrements of the upper classes in portraits. This therefore is a rare painting and worthy of the extensive restoration that was carried out by our best London conservator, the painting has been re-lined but still retains it's original stretcher. It is currently unframed and we shall endeavour to find a suitable period frame to suit, however this is sold as seen and as currently unframed , therefore should a potential buyer wish to frame the picture themselves then this has been priced accordingly. The painting is signed and dated, but currently unframed. I have included an alternative biography of the painter. William Henry Fisk (1827–1884) was a prominent Victorian painter, anatomical draughtsman, and art educator. Highly regarded during his lifetime for his versatility, he successfully navigated multiple disciplines, producing celebrated historical compositions, intimate genre scenes, and highly detailed scientific illustrations. Fisk was born in Homerton, Middlesex, he was the eldest child of Sophia and William Fisk (1796–1872). His father was himself a well-known historical painter who transitioned to art later in life after working a mercantile job. Growing up in an artistic household on Howland Street, Fitzroy Square, the younger Fisk initially trained directly under his father. He went on to formalize his education by studying at the Royal Academy Schools. Fisk’s exceptional precision as a draughtsman opened paths beyond standard fine art. By 1843, at a remarkably young age, he was appointed anatomical draughtsman to the Royal College of Surgeons. There, he executed striking, naturalistic illustrations—including a famed 1844 series on the musculature of a flayed penguin. In 1846, he became the drawing master at the University College School on Gower Street. He spent decades in this role, building a stellar reputation as a clear, logical lecturer who drew large audiences in both London and provincial art sectors. He also regularly wrote art columns for the public press. Fisk first exhibited his paintings publicly in 1846 and debuted at the Royal Academy in 1850. In 1849, Fisk became the first in a line of artists invited to Balmoral Castle to create watercolor landscapes for Queen Victoria. The Queen selected four of his landscape views for her personal souvenir albums. Though he painted gentle genre works like The Secret (1858), Fisk achieved major acclaim for his intense historical scenes. He was deeply fascinated by the French Revolution, exhibiting The Old Noblesse in the Conciergerie at the Royal Academy in 1863. His highly theatrical 1863 work, Robespierre Receives Letters from the Friends of His Victims, Threatening Him with Assassination, reimagined the revolutionary leader in an intimate, domestic setting and is preserved today in the Musée de la Révolution française. In the 1860s, Fisk was commissioned to design life-sized portraits of legendary artists Lorenzo Ghiberti and Albrecht Dürer for the South Court of the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum). While his design of Ghiberti was turned into a mosaic, both of his full-sized oil trial paintings remain part of the museum's permanent collection. Fisk continued exhibiting works across London and occasionally in Paris until the late 1870s. He passed away on 13 November 1884 at his home in Hampstead, London, during his 58th year. Today, his multi-faceted contributions to British art survive through pieces housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Wolverhampton Art Gallery, and the Royal College of Surgeons and private collections.