Beaumont, Sir George (1753 – 1827) – David Garrick (1717-1779).

This remarkable survival brings together three great eighteenth-century characters; the actor and impresario David Garrick, the landscape painter Joseph Farington and the amateur artist and patron Sir George Beaumont. Farington evidently had this small section removed from the wainscoting of the house he owned near Keswick from 1775, presumably when he left the property in 1780. The drawing is mentioned twice in Farington's famous diaries (see below) and from this we learn that 'Cooke' - probably the engraver Thomas Cooke (1744-1818) - had made a copy from the drawing. It is clear from Farington's diary that both this original and Cooke's copy were considered novel pieces of Garrickania from an early date. 27th June 1821 'Hayes called and inspected my toe. I spoke to him abt. his having the copy he had in his possession made by Cooke from Sir George Beaumont's sketch made of the late Mr. Gar ricks head on the wainscot of my parlour of Keswick, and I informed him that Sir George had lately seen the Copy among a large collection of "Garrickania" in the possession of Matthews, the Mimic Comedian. Hayes sd. when the Copy was made from my original he had no intention to part with it, but being taken by Mr. Adolphus, the Barrister, to see Matthews collection of Garrickania he was afterwards induced to give him the copy to add to his store.' 28th June 1821 'I told Sir George what Hayes had sd. to me respecting the Copy of Garrick's portrait being given by Hayes to Matthews. Sir George sd. he might think it a credit to him to have the sketch so estimated'.