Portrait miniature of Lord Byron

Girolamo Prepiani (active circa 1817)

Newstead Abbey Historic House and Gardens

circa 1817

This miniature was one of only two hitherto known portraits showing the poet in the scarlet uniform he wore for formal presentations to foreign dignatories when travelling abroad. In 1813, with his love of the picturesque and his penchant for uniforms, Byron commissioned this scarlet staff uniform trimmed with rows of gold twist buttons and 25 yards of gold lacing to take with him on his second voyage. He instructed his jeweller to set the miniature in plain gold with his arms on the back and this miniature also bears wax seals with his coat of arms and the impression of his signet ring. Newstead Abbey was Byron's ancestral home which he inherited in 1798 residing there periodically from 1808 until 1814. The house still contains furniture, books and pictures, and other personal possessions of the poet together with an internationally- important collection of manuscripts, letters and rare editions of his works.

• Medium: watercolour on ivory
• Dimensions: 7 cm
• Art Fund Grant: £4350 ( Total: £18,700)
• ArtFunded in: 1993
• Vendor: Bonhams

Provenance

Possibly the Countess Guiccioli; Charles Plowden, Rome.

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