3-002-718 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Portrait of Joseph Henry of Straffan, ca.1750-1755. Batoni was the most sought after portrait painter in 18th-century Rome. Visitors, especially young British men on their Grand Tour of the Continent, wanted to have him paint their portraits. In this example, the young Irishman from County Kildare is leaning on the base of a pillar (suggestive of palatial surroundings), which in its simplicity is characteristic of the neoclassical taste of the period. His relaxed pose, open velvet jacket, and book suggest the casual elegance of a well-read gentleman.