Edward Fisher after Sir Joshua Reynolds

The Honourable Augustus Keppel
Commander of His Majesty's Ship, The Torbay on the 20th November 1759.

12 x 16.5 inches

A three-quarter length mezzotint portrait engraved by Edward Fisher after Reynolds; published in London in 1760.

An imposing portrait of Augustus Keppel (1725-1786), Royal Naval Officer, Politician and lifelong friend of the artist Joshua Reynolds. Early in his career Keppel asked Reynolds to join him on board his ship bound for the Mediterranean, an invitation that was to give the young artist access to Italy and the wonders of the classical world: an opportunity he would never forget. To thank his benefactor, Reynolds painted a magnificent full-length portrait of Keppel in 1752 and this painting hangs upon the hallowed walls of The National Gallery to this day. The smaller image we see here dates from a few years later in 1760 but demonstrates their enduring friendship.

Keppel was one of 15 children born to the Earl of Albermarle. By the age of ten he went to sea and in 1740 when only 15 years of age he joined Lord Anson in a circumnavigation of the globe. Keppel then had a meteoric rise within the Royal Navy and became its Commodore in 1849 at the tender age of 24. He served in many campaigns overseas including the Seven Years War and the American Revolutionary War.