Johann Joseph Zoffany

George, 3rd Earl Cowper, with the Family of Charles Gore
c. 1775
31 x 38 1/2 in. (78.7 x 97.8 cm)

This portrait was probably commissioned by the Gore family to celebrate the marriage of Hannah Anne Gore and George, 3rd Earl Cowper (both standing) in 1775. The bride's father, George Gore, plays the cello, accompanied by his daughter Emilie on the square piano, with Mrs. Gore and Elizabeth, their eldest daughter, to the right. Lord Cowper lived in Florence, Italy, where he was an influential collector and patron of the arts. The painting of an antique marriage behind the head of his bride may be a humorous allusion to the quashing of his past love affairs: it shows the god Hercules beating and expelling the figure of Calumny from an allegorical wedding ceremony.