page_title: Lord George Graham
section_title: Hogarth's portrait
hierarchical_section_title: Lord George Graham / Command / Hogarth's portrait
caption_attribution_description: English: Captain Lord George Graham, 1715-47, in his Cabin. Probably shows the subject in the cabin of his new command, the 66-gun HMS Nottingham. Graham is seen seated, in full length view, to the right of the table, smoking a long handled pipe. His clerk and chaplain sing, to music played by a black servant boy on a drum and fife. A steward brings a fowl to the table, but while looking out at the viewer with a smile, tips gravy down the back of the chaplain's neck. Two dogs are visible. One, Graham's dog, joins in the singing. Hogarth's own pug dog, Trump, sits up on a chair, wearing Hogarth's wig and holding a scroll, and reads from a sheet of music in front of him propped on a wineglass. The picture is inscribed in the top left corner 'Ld Geo. Graham, Son to 1st D. of Montrose, by Hogarth'
context_page_description: Lord George Graham was a Scottish officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession. He embarked on a political career, and was a Member of Parliament.
  Graham was born into the nobility, the younger son of a duke, and embarked on a naval career early in his life. Rising through the ranks, he was given his first commands early in the War of the Austrian Succession, and served in the Mediterranean and in escorting convoys. He entered parliament through the influence of his father, and represented the Scottish constituency of Stirlingshire from 1741 until his death. He was a Whig and a political supporter of the Duke of Argyll.
  Turning down the command of a ship of the line in favour of a frigate, Graham won renown for a victory over several powerful privateers and their prizes. Rewarded with a larger ship, he also commissioned a painting from William Hogarth to commemorate the event, Captain Lord George Graham in his Cabin. He continued in the navy, intercepting privateers and enemy ships, but was struck down with a severe illness, and despite moving ashore, died in 1747.
context_section_description: Shortly after the engagement Graham commissioned William Hogarth to paint as a conversation picture a cabin portrait to celebrate his victory, probably using the cabin of the Nottingham as a setting. Hogarth painted Graham smoking his pipe in his cabin before dinner, while listening to pipe and tabor music played by his black servant, while his chaplain and clerk sing. Two dogs are visible, one is Graham's own, which joins in the singing. The other is Trump, Hogarth's dog, which is shown wearing Graham's wig, holding a scroll, and reading from a sheet of music propped against a wine glass. A steward, holding a plate of fowl, looks out of the painting at the viewer with a smile, and drops gravy down the back of the chaplain's neck. The painting has several political and social allusions in Hogarth's satirical style. Cabin scenes in oil are rare, and Hogarth's is considered by the current owner, the National Maritime Museum, to be the most famous in British art.
caption: Captain Lord George Graham, 1715-47, in his Cabin
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