Contemplation
‘Contemplation’ by Charles Lock Eastlake, about 1836. The painting depicts a three quarter length portrait of a seated girl posed right to left. She wears a white dress with a red rose tucked in the bodice, wrapped around her is a blue/red shawl. A landscape is seen behind her left and a curtain to the top right.
Charles Lock Eastlake (1793-1865) was a British artist, collector and writer, who was also the first Director of the National Gallery. Sir Charles Lock Eastlake PRA was the youngest son of George Eastlake, who was Solicitor to the Admiralty and Judge Advocate at Plymouth. Born at Plymouth 17 November 1793; educated at Plympton Grammar School, Eastlake died at Pisa on 24 December 1865. Buried first in the English Cemetery at Florence, but was subsequently re-interred at Kensal Green. He had unerring taste and judgement and also great good fortune.
In 1857 he acquired for £7,035 the Lombardi-Baldi collection of 22 Italian masterpieces including Paolo Uccello’s “Rout of San Romano”, Botticelli’s “Adoration of the Magi” and Oreagna’s mighty altarpiece. In 1861, he gave only 230 guineas for Piero della Francesca’s “Baptism” and Rembrandt’s self-portrait for only £800. Eastlake was a native of Plymouth and as a young man he saw Napoleon with his officers at Ballerophon. The picture which he painted of the historic scene was sold to the Marquess of Lansdowne in 1817, and enabled him to go to Italy. The nation reaped the fruit of this trip. When the Napoleon picture last re-appeared at Christies in 1894 it fetched 200 guineas.
Charles Lock Eastlake (1793-1865) was a British artist, collector and writer, who was also the first Director of the National Gallery. Sir Charles Lock Eastlake PRA was the youngest son of George Eastlake, who was Solicitor to the Admiralty and Judge Advocate at Plymouth. Born at Plymouth 17 November 1793; educated at Plympton Grammar School, Eastlake died at Pisa on 24 December 1865. Buried first in the English Cemetery at Florence, but was subsequently re-interred at Kensal Green. He had unerring taste and judgement and also great good fortune.
In 1857 he acquired for £7,035 the Lombardi-Baldi collection of 22 Italian masterpieces including Paolo Uccello’s “Rout of San Romano”, Botticelli’s “Adoration of the Magi” and Oreagna’s mighty altarpiece. In 1861, he gave only 230 guineas for Piero della Francesca’s “Baptism” and Rembrandt’s self-portrait for only £800. Eastlake was a native of Plymouth and as a young man he saw Napoleon with his officers at Ballerophon. The picture which he painted of the historic scene was sold to the Marquess of Lansdowne in 1817, and enabled him to go to Italy. The nation reaped the fruit of this trip. When the Napoleon picture last re-appeared at Christies in 1894 it fetched 200 guineas.
Object Summary
- Accession Loan No.
- 140/1933
- Category
- Fine Art
- Collection Class
- Paintings
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Common Name
- Contemplation
- Simple Name
- painting
- Inscription Transcription
- Sir Charles Lock Eastlake PRA. Youngest son of George Eastlake.Solicitor to the Admiralty and Judge Advocate at Plymouth.Born at Plymouth 17th November 1793; educated at Plympton Grammar School; died at Pisa the 24th December 1865. Buried first in the English Cemetery at Florence, but was subsequentyl re-intered at Kensal Green; To Eastlake many of the chief glories to the national possession are due. He had unerring taste and judgement and also great good fortune. In 1857 he acquired for £7,035 the Lombardi-Baldi collection of 22 Italian masterpieces including Paolo Uccello’s “Rout of San Romano” , Boticelli’s “Adoration of the Magi” and Oreagna’s mighty altarpiece. In 1861 he gave only 230 guineas for Piero della Francesca’s “Baptism” worth more than £100,000 today and Rembrandt’s self portrait for only £800. Eastlake was a native of Plymouth and as a young man he saw Napoleon with his officers at Ballerophon. The picture which he painted of the historic scene was sold to the Marquess of Lansdowne in 1817, and enabled him to go to Italy. The nation reaped the fruit of this trip. When the Napoleon picture last re-appeared at Christies in 1894 it fetched 200 guineas.; Sir CL Eastlake ... 42 A Female Figure in White Dress, with Crimson and Blue scarf. 36 in by 28 in. Painted for J Gibson RA
- Period Classification
- William IV (1830-1837); Victorian (1837-1901)
- Production Town
- Plymouth
- Production County
- Devon
- Production Country
- United Kingdom: England
- Production Date
- c 1836
- Production Person Initials
- Charles Lock
- Production Person Surname
- Eastlake
- Production Year Low
- 1835
- Production Year High
- 1837
