The prominence of William Dobson is often shadowed by the paintings and well-narrated stories of his successors Turner and Constable. It is almost as if a stain on art history that an artist whose splendor shone England’s art of painting and one who achieved greatness at a relatively young age is so unremembered – blame it on the English Civil War or his early death, he is the most excellent painters England saw, often regarded as ‘Britain’s Caravaggio.’ In an attempt to revive an interest in his excellence, Tate and the National Portrait Gallery jointly acquired his self-portrait for £2,367,405 from a Private Collector through negotiations brokered by Hazlitt.
The purchase is a collaboration between various groups and trusts, most importantly, the £1.6 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund, and the Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation. Victoria Siddall, Director of the National Portrait Gallery, said,
“We are delighted to have brought this wonderful self-portrait by William Dobson into the collection, and to have collaborated with Tate to ensure that the work is saved for the nation. This is thanks to the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players, Art Fund and a number of very generous individuals. This work is a vital part of the history of portraiture and is also one of only two works to have survived from the beginning of Dobson’s career, so we are thrilled to be able to share it with audiences in London and around the country.”
The portrait, subjecting young William, was painted between 1635 and 1640 in London before he arrived at the King’sCourt in Oxford to be the successor of the late Anthony van Dyck. Showcasing rare attributes such as intimacy and honesty, this work defies the conventions of 17th-century British portraiture. To create this masterpiece, William used thickly applied paint and displayed a Bohemian version of himself with wild hair and a melancholy gaze, contrary to what his contemporaries exhibited through their elegant postures. Maria Balshaw, Director of Tate, said,
“In many ways William Dobson was Britain’s answer to Rembrandt. He imbued his subjects with a profound psychological depth, never more so than in this powerful self-portrait. Tate and the National Portrait Gallery have wanted to bring this work into public ownership for decades and I’m delighted that we have finally been able to do so.This extraordinary piece of British heritage has now been saved for future generations to enjoy for free.”
William Dobson died relatively young, at the age of 35, but was served with admiration for his baroque portraits of Cavaliers during a period that was one of the most tempestuous in the country’s history. The portrait of this master will go on free public display at Tate Britain in November and will be united with the portrait of his wife, already in the collection of Tate, painted around the same time. The painting will then go on a tour of the United Kingdom before returning to London for a display at the National Portrait Gallery, where it will be exhibited alongside the frames of prominent 17th-century masters, including Anthony van Dyck. Later, this portrait will be shared by both institutions and will be made available to other museums as part of the National Collection.
Featured Image: Self Portrait William Dobson; William Dobson, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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