Beaumont, George Howland, Sir (1753-1827) The distinguished patron and collector Sir George Beaumont had a deep love of the Lake District and visited many times following his first encounter with it in the summer of 1777. His companions that year were the artists Thomas Hearne and Joseph Farington whom he had known since 1771 and 1773 respectively and who – together with his drawing master at Eton Alexander Cozens, his private tutor the Rev. Charles Davy, the engraver William Woollett, and the Oxford drawing master John Baptist Malchair – had laid the foundations for his lifelong passion for art, in particular the art of landscape. In 1778 he brought his wife Margaret to the Lodore Inn during their two-month honeymoon and the couple repeatedly returned, deriving great enjoyment from scenery and friendships alike (Wordsworth was to receive much generosity from the Beaumonts and he, Southey and Mrs Coleridge were all legatees on Sir George’s death as was Coleridge on the death of Lady Beaumont). The Beaumonts returned in 1779, 1780 (renting Old Brathay, then known as Low Brathay, near Brathay Hall) and 1781. In 1786 they borrowed Holker Hall from Lord George Cavendish and in 1798 they spent nearly two months near Keswick after a stay at Holker, which had now passed to Lord Frederick Cavendish. Their numerous later summers in the Lakes included a return to Brathay (1799) and periods of residence at or near Greta Hall (1803, 1807, 1815, 1816, 1818) as well as several visits to Lowther Castle (1803, 1815, 1826) and to the Wordsworths at Rydal Mount (1815, 1817, 1818). Beaumont made numerous on-the-spot sketches of the Lake District. Several of these were developed by Thomas Girtin, about thirty of whose drawings Beaumont ultimately owned. He also depicted the area in oils, most famously perhaps in his Peele Castle in a Storm of 1806 (Wordsworth Trust), which the poet found deeply moving after the death at sea in 1805 of his brother John. In 1779 Beaumont exhibited A view of Keswick, in Cumberland at the Royal Academy as an honorary exhibitor (no. 373); this was so severely criticised that he did not exhibit there again for another fifteen years. (Taken from 'Savage Grandeur & Noblest Thoughts' catalogue, 2010. (AK, 16.12.2011)) He had a reputation in his day as a landscape painter and the donation of a major part of his art collection to the nation had a decisive effect on the creation of the National Gallery in London. Further information on Sir George Howland's images of Carlisle ( GRMDC.B376.61 and GRMDC.B376.60) can be found in Joseph Massey's article on them. See also: 1992.36.15

Tweet

Reference Beaumont, George Howland, Sir (1753-1827)

There are 438 works by Beaumont, George Howland, Sir (1753-1827) in the Trust's collection, e.g.:
1985.1.14		Byrne, William (1743-1805) and Medland, Thomas (d.1833) after Hearne, Thomas (1744-1817) after Beaumont, George, Sir. - Peel Castle. - London : Thomas Hearne and William Byrne, 2 June 1783. - Etching. - 220 x 272mm.
1988.178		Reynolds, S.W. after Sir George Beaumont. - Peel Castle. - Published London : Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, July 1820. - Recent printing taken from original plate. - Engraving. - 108 x 140mm.
1988.179		Brownley, J.C. after Sir George Beaumont. - Bolton Abbey. - Published London : Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, July 1820. - Recent print taken from original plate. - Engraving. - 181 x 219mm.
1988.180		Bromley, J.C. after Sir George Beaumont. - Remote Cottage. - Published London : Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 1 July 1820. - Recent print taken from original plate. - Engraving. - 140 x 229.
1988.182		Bromley, John Charles after Sir George Beaumont. - Peter Bell. - London : Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 1 July 1820. - Line engraving. - 190 x 220.