Portrait of Thomas Moore

Portrait of Thomas Moore is a c.1817 portrait painting by the Irish artist Martin [Archer Shee] depicting the Irish writer Thomas Moore. Moore is shown seated, with books in front of him, a monocle Both men were established celebrated figures in Regency Britain. A friend of Lord Byron, Moore was a noted figure of the romantic movement. He likely sat for the painting around the time he was completing his epic poem Lalla Rookh which was published that year for which he was paid a thousand guineas.
Both men were Dublin-born Irish Catholics. Archer Shee was a prominent portraitist and occasional author, although at the time he was often ovedhadowed by his friend and rival Thomas Lawrence. In 1830 he succeeded Lawrence as President of the Royal Academy and held the position throughout the early years of the Victorian era.
The work was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1817 at Somerset House in London. The painting was donated to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1916. Several prints based on the painting were widely circulated, particularly as Moore was also famous for his Irish Melodies series. Notable versions were produced by William Thomas Fry William Callis Roffe and John Burnet.