Portrait of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham

Currently not on view

Portrait of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham

1772

Richard Brompton (English, 1734–1782)

As a member of the British parliament from 1735 to 1761 and prime minister from 1766 to 1768, William Pitt the Elder advocated for an amiable relationship between Great Britain and the colonies, opposing the Stamp Act and military action in America. The papers on Pitt's desk in this portrait include a map of the colonies and "A Plan for the Reconciliation between Great Britain and the Colonies." Pitt's colleague Lord Shelburne (later the Marquess of Lansdowne) shared his sympathies and in 1782 signed a peace treaty with the United States.

Currently not on view

Object Details

Title:

Portrait of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham

Date:

1772

Artist:

Richard Brompton (English, 1734–1782)

Medium:

Oil on canvas

Dimensions:

33 x 59 1/2 inches (83.8 x 151.1 cm)

Classification:

Paintings

Credit Line:

Gift of Caroline Scott Koblenzer, M.D., in memory of her father, James Robertson Adamson, F.R.I.B.A., 1997

Accession Number:

1997-193-1

Geography:

Made in England, Europe

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Currently not on view