#robert rushton

This is the undisputed original of one of the most famous portraits of the poet Lord Byron; wide circulation of engraved versions meant that it became the quintessential image of the most influential hero of the Romantic movement. The youth in red is thought to be Robert Rushton who entered Byron’s service in 1808. Byron is shown standing on a rocky seashore with a boy with a dinghy; in the background to the right is a ship flying the red ensign.