Dimensions: support: 1346 x 1080 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: Before us is James Latham's portrait of 'The Rt Hon. Sir Capel Molyneux', an oil on canvas held within the Tate collection. Editor: My eye is immediately drawn to the rich, almost excessive, layering of textures in his attire – the gold braid against the darker fabric. It suggests a certain… theatricality. Curator: Indeed. The painting is a fascinating document of power and status in the 18th century. The Molyneux family was quite influential in Irish politics. Latham presents him as a cultivated man. Editor: I see that now, noting how the gaze avoids direct confrontation, instead adopting a carefully constructed persona for public consumption. Curator: And notice Latham’s manipulation of light to emphasize Molyneux’s features, almost elevating him. Editor: I appreciate how considering its historical and social context enhances the reading of its formal composition. Curator: Precisely! A productive juxtaposition.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/latham-the-rt-hon-sir-capel-molyneux-n05801
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Sir Capel Molyneux (1717-1797) of Castle Dillon, Co. Armagh, succeeded his elder brother as 3rd Baronet in 1738. It is likely that the portrait was painted soon afterwards to mark this event - so the later inscription may record its correct date. The sitter holds a paper inscribed ‘Plan of Improvements’, perhaps to suggest his lofty aspirations in public life. Molyneux was Member of Parliament for Dublin University 1769-76. Latham was the leading Irish portrait painter of the early eighteenth century. He studied in Antwerp in the 1720s and brought back a sense of lively Baroque composition , bold and colourful brushwork. Gallery label, February 2010
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