Portrait of: John Mudge
By: W. Dickinson
After: Sir Joshua Reynolds
Style: Mezzotint
Dimensions: 27.6 x 34.5 cm
John Mudge (1721-1793) was a surgeon and physician born in Devon. He was wellconnected and renowned amongst his contemporaries, with acquaintances includingSamuel Johnson, James Boswell and Joshua Reynolds. His success was aided byfamily connections as well as by talent. Mudge became a Fellow of the RoyalSociety in 1777.
Many of the portraits depict the sitter wearing a gown and turban, the combinationimplying their situation in the domestic sphere. Brandon Brame Fortune arguesthat the banyan and turban in this context indicated both the wealthy and leisuredsocial position of the sitter and his studious and creative life. The appealof these robes for professional men was the loose fitting nature of the garmentthat implied an intellectual freedom through lack of sartorial restraint; additionallythe turban was worn in the domestic sphere as a warm and comfortable replacementfor a wig. Therefore the choice for medical practitioners to be depicted inthis state of undress can be seen in the context of their desire to appearstudious.
