Portrait of John Talbot, later 1st Earl Talbot 1773

Pompeo Batoni painted "Portrait of John Talbot, later 1st Earl Talbot" during a time when the British aristocracy often commissioned portraits in Italy, linking their identity to classical ideals and the Grand Tour. Consider Talbot's pose, nonchalantly leaning against a plinth, his gaze confident, as if acknowledging his status. The inclusion of a faithful dog and classical sculpture—both symbols of loyalty and cultivated taste—illustrate Talbot's self-fashioned identity. Batoni, popular among the British elite, catered to the desires of his patrons who wished to project an image of themselves as worldly, educated, and powerful. However, let’s also ask ourselves, what narratives are being excluded? Whose labor and lives made such displays of leisure possible? As we gaze at Talbot, let’s remember the complex social structures that underpin such seemingly simple images of identity.