Signed and dated lower left "Thos. Worlidge Pinx. 1758" and inscribed lower right "George Husey. Age 19".
GEORGE HUSEY, a prosperous linen draper, born in 1739, lived in Salisbury and married Jenny Coster. They had a daughter Elisabeth in 1785 who was born in Compton Pauncefoot, Castle Cary, Somerset. She married Lewis Goodwin Senior/Husey-Hunt in 1809 in Bristol. Elisabeth died in 1832.
He painted portraits of his master Grimaldi and his master's wife about 1720.
He married Grimaldi's daughter, and remained on close terms with Alexander Grimaldi, his master's son. Subsequently he received instruction from Louis Peter Boitard. About 1736 Worlidge and the younger Grimaldi are said to have visited Birmingham, where Worlidge reintroduced the art of painting on glass. For a time, too, he seems to have practised portrait painting at Bath, Somerset.
About 1740 Worlidge settled in London in the neighbourhood of Covent Garden, where he remained for the rest of his life. At one time Worlidge's address was ‘at the Piazza, Covent Garden.’ He afterwards resided in Bedford Street and King Street in the same neighbourhood.
In 1763 he settled in Great Queen Street in a large house built by Inigo Jones, adjoining the later site of the Freemasons' Tavern. Worlidge became obese and a heavy drinker in later life, and suffered from gout.
In his last years he spent much of his leisure in a country house situated in Messrs. Kennedy & Leigh's nursery-ground at Hammersmith. There he died on 23 September 1766, and was buried in Hammersmith church. A plain marble slab, inscribed with verses by William Kenrick, was placed on the wall of the church; it is now at the east end of the south aisle.
His work can be seen in the National Portrait Gallery, London; the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and Peterborough Museum.
SIZE: 37 x 31.5 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Sussex Private Collection.
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Portrait of George Husey 1758, by Thomas Worlidge.
