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William Tell
William Tell
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William Tell

by Sir Peter Francis Bourgeois

Date: c.1775-1811

Currently not on display

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Item details

  • Acquisition

    Bourgeois Bequest, 1811

  • Accession number

    DPG467

  • Artist

    Sir Peter Francis Bourgeois

  • Date

    c.1775-1811

  • Dimensions

    76.8 x 110.2 cm

  • Materials

    Oil on canvas

The fourteenth-century Swiss legend of William Tell would have no doubt been particularly resonant for Bourgeois, whose father was from Switzerland. The tale centres on William Tell obeying governor Gessler's order to shoot an apple from his own son's head. He did, before killing the governor and liberating Switzerland from Austrian rule. Schiller's famous tragedy on Tell appeared in 1804, around the time this picture was painted. The influence of De Loutherbourg in terms of landscape and of Reynolds for the figures is apparent from the comparison with the paintings on each side.

William Tell

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