At the time of the portrait, English nobleman Thomas Brooke had just returned from a trip to Europe. Making a ‘grand tour’, an educational trip to the continent, was considered compulsory for young members of the aristocracy in the eighteenth century, and his return was to be eternalised in a portrait.
In the portrait, we see details commemorating his journey; a Doric column and a Roman bust on either side of the young Brooke evoke thoughts of Ancient Greece and Rome respectively. Experiencing these historic and architectural environments was an important part of a wealthy young man’s education, here displayed to the world.
Exhibitions
Samlingen - The Collection, Malmö Konstmuseum, våning 2, 12.06.2021
Som du ser mig - porträtt från samlingen, Malmö Konstmuseum, Konstgalleriet, 18.02.2007 - 09.04.2007
Drömmen om Italien - Nordiska resenärer i Södern 1750-1870, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 14.10.2004 - 20.02.2005
1500 till Nu (augusti 2010), 1500-Nu
Från Golv till Tak, Malmö Konstmuseum, Konstgalleriet
