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Notes

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Balfour first made his mark as a philosopher, publishing A Defence of Philosophic Doubt in 1879. He entered politics in 1874 through the patronage of his uncle, Lord Salisbury. He succeeded Salisbury as Prime Minister in 1902 but was unable to keep together a party divided by issues of Free Trade and Protectionism. He resigned in December 1905. During the First World War, he worked as First Lord of the Admiralty and, from 1916 to 1919, as Foreign Secretary. The Balfour Declaration of November 1917 gave British support to 'the establishment in Palestine of a home for the Jewish people'. Balfour continued in politics until the age of eighty: he had served for twenty-seven years as a member of the cabinet.

National Portrait Gallery, London

London

Title

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

Date

1908

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 108 x W 76.2 cm

Accession number

2497

Acquisition method

Given by Countess of Wemyss, 1931

Work type

Painting

National Portrait Gallery, London

St Martin’s Place, London, Greater London WC2H 0HE England

This venue is open to the public. Not all artworks are on display. If you want to see a particular artwork, please contact the venue.

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Artist or maker

Philip Alexius de László

1869–1937

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