19th Century Chromolithograph, Vanity Fair “Fox Hunter” Spy Caricature of Lord William Henry Portman Titled “An Old Master”

Description

Vanity Fair SPY caricature of Lord Henry William Portman titled “An Old Master.” Portrayed in a red hunting jacket and … more Vanity Fair SPY caricature of Lord Henry William Portman titled “An Old Master.” Portrayed in a red hunting jacket and hunting boots, 2nd Viscount Lord Portman was a British Liberal Member of Parliament.

Describing the wealthy landowner, Vanity Fair wrote “When in Town he lives in his own Square,” referring to the posh Portman Square in Marylebone, London. Educated at Eton and Merton College, Lord Portman was a successful agriculturalist. In 1837, he was named Baron of Orchard Portman and in 1873 Viscount of Bryanston, after having served for many years as a councillor of both the Duchy of Cornwall and the Duchy of Lancaster. The Portman family is one of the most prominent families in the UK with a net worth estimated at £1.9 billion. The family's wealth comes primarily from the aforementioned Portman Estate, which dates back to King Henry VIII and spans 110-acres in central London.

Vanity Fair was published weekly from 1869 to 1914. The highlight of each week was a caricature of a well-known personage. These caricatures were reproduced by the relatively new process of chromolithography. This is an original 1898 Vanity Fair chromolithograph, not a reproduction. less