LORD HEYTESBURY FROM THE MIDDLETON WATERCOLOR ALBUM
Currently in storage
About this object
The eldest son of Sir Pierce Ashe À Court, a Member of Parliament, William Heytesbury (formerly À Court) (1779-1860) was raised on his family’s estate in Wiltshire, England and educated at Eton College. He entered the diplomatic service at a young age; in 1801 he was appointed secretary of legation at Naples. He served as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Barbary States and to Naples between 1813 and 1814. In 1822 William was named Envoy Extraordinary to Spain and in 1824, Ambassador to Portugal. During the Russo-Turkish War (1828-29), William was appointed Ambassador to Russia. He, his wife, and their daughter, Cecilia-Maria (52.39.7), consequently relocated to St. Petersburg. William gained favor with the Russian court and Emperor Nicholas I for his character and skill. Edward Morton, a physician living in Russia during the late 1820s, noted that his “dignified manners” earned him the respect ofall. Dorothea Lieven, wife of the Russian Ambassador to London, similarly remarked upon his “great intelligence and tact” and characterized his political efforts as “models of diplomacy.” The À Courts remained in Russia until William was recalled in 1832. He served as Viceroy of Ireland between 1844 and 1846 and as Governor of the Isle of Wight until 1857. William died at his family home in Heytesbury in 1860.
The bust-length portrait depicts William Heytesbury facing partly left, eyes looking forward, against a background of blue sky with grey clouds. He is dressed in a dark blue coat with a black collar and gold buttons over a white shirt with a white cravat. He wears the star of an unidentified order on his left breast.
- Object name:
- LORD HEYTESBURY FROM THE MIDDLETON WATERCOLOR ALBUM
- Made from:
- Watercolor on paper
- Date made:
- 1828-1832
- Size:
- H. 6 3/4 in., W. 5 3/8 in.
Detailed information for this item
- Catalog number:
- 52.39.6
- Signature marks:
- inscription Lord Heytesbury Bottom of page In cursive
- Credit line:
- Museum Purchase, 2004