The National Portrait Gallery has found a perfect subject for an exhibition in Lord Byron; his image so fascinated the public that, even in his day, the term Byronic was used to describe a lonely, rebellious and brooding spirit. Though club-footed, Byron was extremely handsome and found both delight and shame in his appearance. A contemporary, Lady Blessington, was shocked by the ostentation of his dress when he greeted her in an over the top blue velvet outfit.
Like Cary Grant and other film stars, he insisted on being painted from his “good angle”. The NPG rightly makes the comparison with photographs of modern stars, such as James Dean and Mick Jagger. Of course, it is only 50% valid; Byron’s fascination went beyond that of his looks; his independence of thought, his wit and brilliant poetry were extremely influential and inspired painters such as Delacroix and Turner (though there are no examples of their works in this show). There is no single portrait of Byron that captures this enigmatic spirit (what a shame Sir Thomas Lawrence did not paint him). The best is probably the bust by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (on loan from Byron’s publishers John Murray). There is also a dramatic portrait by Richard Westall painted in 1813, when Byron was 25. Others are by George Sanders, Thomas Phillips and George Henry Harlow. A new biography of Byron has just been written by Fiona MacCarthy who has also curated the exhibition, to be published by John Murray.