Portrait of Old John, Head Waiter at the King's Head Inn in Derby
Portrait of Old John, Head Waiter at the King's Head Inn in Derby

On view

European Art

Portrait of Old John, Head Waiter at the King's Head Inn in Derby,

ca. 1780

Joseph Wright of Derby, 1734–1797; born and died Derby, United Kingdom
2018-158

Wright portrayed Old John, head waiter at the main coaching inn of Derby, England, with a kind and intelligent expression. Rather than include any signs of his trade, the artist depicted his subject in a simple coat with a boutonniere. This is a rare example of a servant portrait made for the sitter’s benefit: the painting was raffled, and the proceeds provided a pension for Old John in recognition of his forty-three years of service.

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More About This Object

Mary Pitcairn Keating Lecture | Bart J. C. Devolder

Information

Title
Portrait of Old John, Head Waiter at the King's Head Inn in Derby
Dates

ca. 1780

Maker
Joseph Wright of Derby
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
77 × 64.2 cm (30 5/16 × 25 1/4 in.) frame: 89.9 × 77.2 × 5.7 cm (35 3/8 × 30 3/8 × 2 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Museum purchase, Surdna Fund
Object Number
2018-158
Culture
English
Type
oil paintings, paintings
Materials
oil paint, canvas
Techniques
oil painting
Subject
waiters, men, portraits

Raffled at Derby Town Hall; acquired at raffle by Daniel Parker Coke MP (1745-1825); Joseph Strutt (1765-1844), by 1835; Edward Strutt, 1st Baron Belper (1801-1880), Kingston Hall, Northamptonshire, by descent; The Hon. Henry Strutt, 2nd Baron Belper (1840-1914), Kingston Hall, Northamptonshire; Algernon Strutt, 3rd Baron Belper (1883-1956), Kingston Hall, Northamptonshire; The Hon Peter Algernon Strutt (1924-2007), Kingston Hall, Northamptonshire; Strutt Sale, Sotheby’s, London, 19 November, 1986, lot 54; Zankel-West Collection, New York; Christie’s, London, December 7, 2017, lot 35; Lowell Libson & Jonny Yarker, London; 2018 purchase by Princeton University Art Museum

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