Room 17
The Romantics
What does William Blake, the radical artist, have in common with the aristocratic author, Lord Byron? Or Henry Fuseli, the provocative painter, with the sociable travel writer Hester Piozzi? Despite their differences, they shared a new way of looking at their world and a willingness to disrupt social expectations. Known as the Romantics, they inspired people to explore themselves and the world around them. They believed in self-expression, wild flights of the imagination and an empathy with the everyday. Passionate about personal freedom and social justice, they found themselves on the fringes of society. Their work turned convention on its head, with a creativity that still challenges us today.
Elizabeth Craven (née Berkeley), Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach-Bayreuth
by Ozias Humphry
oil on canvas, circa 1780-1783
On display in Room 17 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L223
Hester Lynch Piozzi (née Salusbury, later Mrs Thrale)
by Unknown Italian artist
oil on canvas, 1785-1786
On display in Room 17 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 4942
Mary English (née Ballard, later Greenup)
by William Armfield Hobday
oil on canvas, 1818
On display in Room 17 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 6964
