Pompeo BATONI - Thomas William Coke (1774)

 

Thomas William Coke

1774
Oil painting on canvas (246x170 cm)
Holkham Hall, Norfolk

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The masterful skill of Pompeo Batoni allows us to have a real tactile sensation of the silk with which the sumptuous suit of the man portrayed is made, moreover we can feel all the lightness of the feather that adorns the hat.

In the scenography, some details tell us that we are in Rome as we can see from the statue of Venus and the columns that enclose the scene.

The person portrayed is Thomas Coke, a wealthy English gentleman of the eighteenth century, who, following the custom of the moment, completed his studies with a trip to Europe.

Batoni managed to become rich thanks to his art and among his clients he could include important foreign personalities, such as kings and nobles, while in his homeland he was famous for elegant portraits of popes.

For foreigners embarking on the Grand Tour in Italy, a portrait of Batoni had become a real souvenir to take home.

Batoni was also a man of culture, among his official commitments we must remember the work for the papal art collection, and his living room was a reference point for artists and intellectuals.

Comparing artists: Dobson, Hilliard, Kneller, Moroni