Thomas Hickey
, Irish, 1741-1824
Title
Edmund Burke (1729-1797) in Conversation with Charles James Fox (1749-1806)Datec.1783-1784
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
76.2 x 58 cm
Credit LinePurchased, 1886
Object numberNGI.258
DescriptionIn this double portrait, Edmund Burke stands with a draft of the British Government's East India Bill beside his friend Charles James Fox, joint Secretary of State. The bill was intended to reform the government of India, and was brought before parliament by Fox in November 1783. It was passed by the House of Commons but defeated by the House of Lords. The picture, which was probably painted in Portugal, is set on a rather grand balcony, with a classical column and statue, probably of the orator Cicero, in the background. Hickey's difficulty in capturing accurately the proportions of the body is demonstrated here by the oddness of the figures' legs. Hickey spent much of his career in India where he enjoyed success as a portraitist.ProvenancePurchased, H. Graves and Co., London, 1886Exhibition HistoryIn the Minds and Hearts of the People: Prologue to the American Revolution 1760-1774, National Portrait Gallery, Washington DC, 1974