- Title:
- in carved gilt wooden frame, 1813.
- Object name(s):
- Paintings; Painting
- Brief description:
- Oil on stretched canvas, portrait painting of James Asperne. He is seated, wearing a silver Master's set square suspended from a chain, the Royal medal of the Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1 (now No. 2) (see notes below) and a Grand Steward's apron trimmed with red. He is holding a Book of Constitutions in his right hand. The chair is supported on each side by two Corinthian columns surmounted with globes. The back of the chair is decorated with rays, a sun, a moon and an All-seeing eye. The canvas is framed within a carved gilt wooden frame.
- Collection:
- Museum of Freemasonry
- Acquisition method:
- Purchase
- Associated concept:
- Paintings--Masonic
- Associated concept:
- Portraits--Masonic--England
- Associated person:
- Drummond, Samuel, 1765-1844, Painter
- Comments:
- James Asperne was initiated into Freemasonry in 1792. He served as Master in at least two lodges, Foundation Lodge, No. 96 (lapsed around 1806) and St. Peter's Lodge, No. 249 (erased 1830). He also became a member of the Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1 (now No. 2), eventually becoming an Honorary Member, thus receiving the Royal medal in 1812. The Royal medal was instituted in 1812 by H.R.H., Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, who was Master of the Lodge in 1809 until his death in 1843, and presented to initiates and joining members. In 1813 Asperne was elected as a Grand Steward and took part in the Grand Festival in 1814.
- Comments:
- The painter of this portrait, Samuel Drummond enrolled at the Royal Academy schools in 1791 where he exhibited over three hundred works until his death in 1844. In 1808 he was elected as an associate of the Royal Academy. He became known for portraiture and his sitters included John Gully (1783-1863), sportsman and prize-fighter, Elizabeth Fry (1780-1845), prison reformer and Sir Marc Isambard Brunel (1769-1849), civil engineer.
- Content - description:
- James Asperne, Chair, Crescent with rays, Sun, All-seeing eye, Moon, Corinthian columns, Globes, Grand Steward's apron, Book of Constitutions, Master's collar jewel and chain, Royal medal of the Lodge Of Antiquity No. 1 (now No. 2)
- Dimension:
- (Without frame) H: 1200 W: 945 D: n/a Dia: n/a Wt: n/a
- Entry date:
- 14/07/1970
- Object name:
- Paintings; Painting
- Object number:
- M2010/1197
- Object production date:
- 1813
- Object production place:
- n/k
- Reproduction format:
- Digital image
- Technique:
- Hand painted
- Technique:
- Carved frame
- Technique:
- Gilded
- Technique:
- Stretched canvas
- Text:
- JAMES ASPERNE (1757-1820), Bookseller. Past Master, St. Peter's Lodge, No. 249, 1795, Honorary Member, Lodge of Antiquity, No. 1 (now No. 2) 1795. Grand Steward, 1813. By Samuel Drummond, A.R.A., 1813.
- Text reason:
- Display caption
Persistent shareable link for this record: https://museumdata.uk/objects/8bdfa1fb-470d-346b-9783-d7e060c22a26
Use licence for this record: CC BY
Attribution for this record: https://museumdata.uk/objects/8bdfa1fb-470d-346b-9783-d7e060c22a26, Museum of Freemasonry, CC BY
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