Charles Turner after James Ramsay

Hugh, Viscount Ebrington

15 x 19 inches

Hugh, Viscount Ebrington (1783-1861) was a prominent Whig and liberal politician, very active in British political life during the first half of the C19th. He originally joined the pro-Revolutionary Whig party but became increasingly concerned about the effects that military involvement was having on British society and broke away to form the Young Whigs. He was very involved in the discussions leading up to the Great Reform Act of 1832 and in its execution thereafter.

Charles Turner (1773-1857) was a prolific and very highly regarded mezzotint engraver of portraits and other subjects after his contemporaries. He studied at the RA Schools and set himself up in London where through good business acumen, natural ability and an excellent reputation he soon built up a very successful business. From 1812 onwards, he became Mezzotint Engraver to His Majesty and in 1828 he was elected Associate Engraver at the Royal Academy. For most of his prints he etched the outline of the subject prior to applying the mezzotint ground. It is thought he produced in excess of 600 mezzotint portraits.