Lord Byron

Maker Sir William Allan (British, 1782-1850)

ClassificationsDRAWINGS

Daten.d.

Mediumblack and red pencil heightened with white

Dimensions6 3/4 × 9 7/8 in. (17.1 × 25.1 cm.) mat: 19 × 12 1/2 in. (48.3 × 31.8 cm.)

InscribedAdhered board on lower left side with inscription in graphite: Exh Coluaghi (L.B.F.C) Jan. through Feb. 1952, N:94 [illegible] Inscription in graphite on verso: A211 Monogram stamp in black ink on verso, lower right: I

Credit LineThe Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. Sir Bruce Ingram Collection

Status

Not on view

Label TextThe aristocratic poet Lord Byron was once described as "mad, bad and dangerous to know." He was a well-known dandy, famously good-looking, and notorious for his excesses, as well as for his rebellious attitude. William Allan's drawing, however, celebrates his creative powers. In this pencil sketch, the poet appears lost in thought. He gazes upward, a hand on his chin, as if caught in a moment of inspiration. The sitter's contemplative expression and the open neck of his shirt indicate his distraction from worldly concerns and emphasize his artistic nature. Despite his reputation, or perhaps because of it, Byron was one of the most recognizable celebrities of his day. His literary status, his scandalous life, as well as his romantic death while fighting in the War for Greek Independence, made his image collectable on many levels.

Object number63.52.3