Study of a man, possibly George Frederick Handel, head only, turned slightly to the left, his voluminous hair or wig curled and hanging loose to his shoulders. A small dark mark visible to the centre of his brow. Made by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 - 1797). Black and white chalk on blue paper, in cream window mount.

Exhibitions:

Title: Joseph Wright of Derby, 1734-1797: Bicentenary Exhibition
Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Dates: from 21/06/1997 to 28/09/1997
Title: Joseph Wright of Derby: Life on Paper
Venue: Derby Museum and Art Gallery
Dates: from 23/05/2025 to 07/09/2025

Publications

Title: Joseph Wright of Derby 1734 - 1797
Sub-Title: An introduction to the work of Joseph Wright of Derby with a catalogue of drawings held by Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Published on the occasion of an exhibition commemorating the Bicentenary of the artist's death.
Published Place: Derby
Published Year: 1997

Related People

Joseph Wright of Derby (Artist)
Display Date: British, 1734 - 1797
Nationality: British
Biography: Artist.
George Frederick Handel (Content)
Display Date: German, 1685 - 1759
Nationality: German

Study of a Man, possibly George Frederick Handel

Date: c. 1756

Medium: black and white chalk on blue paper

Object Type:	drawing
Dimensions:	Support: 356 × 273 mm (14 × 10 3/4 in.)
Description:	Sitter bears close resemblance to George Frederick Handel and may have been based on Thomas Hudson's portrait of the composer, of 1756, now in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery (NPG 3970). Identified by Leger Galleries (1996). There are some differences between that portrait and this study however, notably in the arrangement of the hair/wig and the straight neckcloth rather than the lace jabot seen in Hudson's portrait. It is possible that this study may have taken from life during a sitting in Hudson's studio in around 1755-56, where Wright was present as a student.
Provenance:	Purchased from David Posnett, Leger Galleries Ltd., 1996.
Viewing Status:	Contact Us
Item Ref:	1996-1/23