Curated by Dr David Hansen, ‘Dempsey’s People’ brings together 52 portraits by a little-known, English itinerant artist named John Dempsey, reminiscent of the characters in a Charles Dickens novel.
Dempsey’s folio presents a significant challenge to conventional 19th century British portraiture, profiling Regency-era and early Victorian-Britain urban proletariats. Dempsey’s unique survey and meticulous depictions of the town-crier, chimney-sweep and street-food vendor, the poet, beggar and lunatic provide a rare view of street people otherwise omitted from the art history pages.
John Dempsey, Richard (‘Dickey’) Fletcher, bellman, Bridlington, c. 1825, watercolour and pencil. Collection: Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, presented by C. Docker, 1956. Courtesy National Portrait Gallery, Australian Capital Territory
National Portrait Gallery
Until 22 October, 2017
Australian Capital Territory
