Portrait of Sir Sidney Smith in the Temple Prison

A contemporary of Prud’hon and Girodet, Hennequin was briefly in the studio of David before going to Rome. As a devoted Jacobin, he was imprisoned following the death of Robespierre. There, he made the acquaintance of William Sidney Smith (1764-1840), Commodore, and later Admiral, in the British navy who had been captured near Le Havre and would stage a daring escape two years later. After Smith had commissioned a group portrait from Hennequin (British Museum, 1963-12-14-14), the artist presented him this drawing as a gift. Smith is shown calm and collected in his naval uniform, gazing out the barred window. The following year, he would have the drawing etched by Maria Cosway (1760-1838) (National Portrait Gallery, London, NPG D6792). The technique of the drawing showcases Hennequin’s skill with pen and ink; the forms are first delineated in his characteristic taut and springy outline, and the modelling and suggestion of tone are executed in a range of marks, ranging from short hatch marks, to curlicues, to dots.