Augustus Keppel, Viscount Keppel
- Artist: Sir Joshua Reynolds
- Date: 1764-1765
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 30 in. x 25 in. (762 mm x 635 mm)
- Portrays: Augustus Keppel, Viscount Keppel
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is “Augustus Keppel, Viscount Keppel,” painted in oil on canvas by Sir Joshua Reynolds between 1764 and 1765. You’ll see the Admiral standing with a dignified posture, his left hand resting on a map or staff, eyes looking forward as if plotting a voyage. His coat is rich but not over‑ornate, giving him that heroic yet approachable air typical of Reynolds’ mid‑Georgian portraits.
The canvas size—about 30 inches tall and 25 wide—lets the painter give Keppel a clear, focused face while still leaving room for the background details of a naval ship or horizon. Reynolds uses a subtle play of light on the Admiral’s cheekbones, highlighting the firm set of his jawline.
Reynolds was not just any artist; he became the first President of the Royal Academy and painted many portraits that defined Georgian portraiture. Keppel himself made history in the Seven‑Years War and the American War of Independence, and this painting comes from a time when Reynolds was still creating the heroic likenesses that helped both men secure their places in Britain’s visual memory.
See it in person
Augustus Keppel, Viscount Keppel is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
