| Portrait of George Frideric Handel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Thomas Hudson |
| Year | 1756 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait |
| Dimensions | 238.8 cm× 146.1 cm(94.0 in× 57.5 in) |
| Location | National Portrait Gallery, London |
Portrait of George Frideric Handel is a 1756 portrait painting by the English artist Thomas Hudson depicting the German composer George Frideric Handel. [1] [2]
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Long resident in Britain Handel was the foremost composer in the country/ He was noted for his coronation anthems and his 1741 oratorio Messiah amongst his many works. He is shown in his early seventies. The work was commissioned by his friend Charles Jennens. Handel is seated in front of the score of Messiah, which Jennens had worked on the libretto of. [3]
Hudson was a notable portraitist of the mid-Georgian era who counted Joshua Reynolds amongst his pupils. [4] Hudson has previously painted Handel in 1749. Today the work is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London, having been acquired in 1968. [5]