James Barry (1741-1806)
The Conversion of Polemon c.1790
Engraving, etching and aquatint | 69.0 x 97.2 cm (sheet of paper) | RCIN 813697
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An engraving with etching and aquatint, showing the conversion of Polemon on hearing the discourse of Xenocrates. The Conversion of Polemon was first produced by Barry in 1778 in support of the Whig politician Charles James Fox, whom Barry identified in Polemon, an Athenian youth who abandoned his hedonistic ways to become a philosopher by the influence of Xenocrates (the standing figure, associated by Barry with Edmund Burke). This impression dates from a later reworking of the plate by Barry, in which much of the original aquatint was removed. It was in the collection of George III, perhaps a surprising acquisition for a king whose collecting of contemporary prints generally demonstrates more of a sympathy for Tory politics.
Provenance
Acquired by George III
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Creator(s)
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Medium and techniques
Engraving, etching and aquatint
Measurements
69.0 x 97.2 cm (sheet of paper)
57.2 x 84.5 cm (platemark)
Category
Object type(s)
Subject(s)