Richard Burke (1758–1794) (formerly George Canning)

Richard Burke from around 1784, formerly identified as George Canning, by John Hoppner depicts the son of the great statesman Edmund Burke. Richard Burke's short life ended in 1794, making portraits of him particularly valued by his grieving father, who was one of the towering figures of Georgian political thought. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays fluent, confident brushwork in the tradition of Reynolds, with a warm atmospheric palette and a gift for flattering likenesses that retained individual character.

The portrait captures the young man with Hoppner's fluid technique, the atmospheric handling and warm palette creating an engaging image of youthful vitality.