Artist: Albin Burt
Mr. Patrick Gibson was born on the 24th July 1720 in County Tipperary, Ireland. When aged just 17 and staying at Waterford on the East Coast of Ireland, the young Gibson was pressed into the Royal Navy and so began his life in the Navy; all 85 years of it.
He became a purser, and in 1759 was serving under Admiral Sir Charles Saunders in the amphibious operation up the St. Lawrence River that enabled Major-General Wolfe and his troops to take Quebec. On an occasion the day before the assault, Gibson tells a story of overhearing Wolfe and Saunders discussing the following days actions and Wolfe asking Saunders if his marines would assist. ‘Not only the marines, but every sailor on board who could be spared to bear a hand’ was the admiral’s reply.
A catalogue entry accompanying a further portrait of Gibson, painted by Luke Macartan and shown at the RA in 1831, (RMG No.BHC2715), records Gibson as being present in 26 Naval Actions. He claimed not to have suffered any illness in over 90 years and was only superannuated from the Navy as a purser when 90, this being later reported as 102. He died just short of 111 on the 1st July 1831 at his home in Chelsea.
Various reports at the time of his death record that Mr. Gibson had stopped drinking raw whiskey at the age of 21, preferring thereafter always to leave the dining table after no more than three glasses of wine. His diet was made up of pickled pork and salt beef and, being a Catholic, ate milk and potatoes on a Friday. Other than that, it was just a couple of pints of porter consumed throughout each day.
The newspaper article from which much of the above information has been taken concludes "A striking likeness of this wonderful man was lately painted by that clever artist Mr. Burt, and may now be seen in his window in London Street."
Watercolour, within and early Victorian gilt gesso frame, signed by the artist. Albin Burt, in pencil lower left and further inscribed along the top of the work.
o.s:15 in x 18 in
the work:8 3/8 in x 11 3/8 in
Albin Robert Burt (1784-1842) is an interesting artist in as much as his subjects are often drawn from the lower orders of society depicted in their professional garb. He started his career as an engraver under Robert Thew and Benjamin Smith. He later turned to portraiture exhibiting at the Royal Academy in 1830.
Item Code: 5600
£ 1150
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