Captain
Coram

Captain Coram

William Hogarth

1740

Oil on canvas

The Foundling Museum, Brunswick Square, London

Thomas Coram (1668-1751) was robust and forthright, a man of action. In this famous full-length portrait of him by William Hogarth, he wears a stout, serviceable greatcoat of rich reddish brown, his abundant white hair framing a weather-beaten face. The globe by his left foot reminds us of his sea-faring past, and his white cuffs draw attention to his capable-looking hands. [Commentary continues below.]

Image download, text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee.

This photograph is part of the Yorck project, for which the reproduction rights can be seen here. [Click on this image, and the ones below, for larger pictures, and mouse over the text for links.]