A True Likeness? Portraits in Word and Image

This display complements the surrounding portraits in Gallery 3: British Art 16th – 18th Century.

By the 18th century, ‘face painting’ in Britain had become a national obsession and portrait artists and engravers were much in demand. This display features engraved portraits in books, including those of Ben Jonson, William Shakespeare, Handel, Aphra Behn, Katherine Phillips, and William Hayley.

On display in two table cases in Gallery 3 and part of your general admission ticket.