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John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718–1792)

Image credit: Captain Cook Memorial Museum

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Notes

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An able politician and administrator, Sandwich was First Lord of the Admiralty on three occasions, most notably from 1771 to 1782. He was a reforming First Lord, devoting much effort to improving the Navy and the work of the dockyards. In office, when Cook returned from the First Voyage, he quickly became Cook’s patron and was a tireless supporter of voyages and exploration. Sandwich encouraged the scientists’ work on the voyages, ensured that artists were appointed, and oversaw the publication of official accounts of the Voyages. It was the first time that scientific work was included in ‘official’ accounts, and the new knowledge made available to the widest possible public. Gainsborough painted this around 1780. He was then at the height of his fame.

Captain Cook Memorial Museum

Whitby

Title

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718–1792)

Date

c.1780

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 71 x W 61 cm (E)

Accession number

WHICC.10222

Acquisition method

purchased with the assistance of the Victoria and Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund and the National Art Collections Fund, 1999

Work type

Painting

Normally on display at

Captain Cook Memorial Museum

Grape Lane, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO22 4BA England

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