Henry, Joseph
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- Henry, Joseph
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(1727 - 96), 2nd s. of Hugh Henry of Lodge Park, Straffan, Co. Kildare; Dublin U. 1740; m. 1764 Ldy. Catherine Rawdon, dau. of 1st E. Moira [I]; MP [I] 1761 - 8, 1776; High Sherriff Co. Kildare 1771.
1750 - 61 Rome (by Easter 1750 - Mar. 1752) [Marseilles, summer 1752, Spain] Pisa (by Jan. 1755), Florence (May 1757), Florence (1761) [England by 17 Aug. 1761]
'Is Jo: Henry at Rome now? Is he as fine a gentleman as ever ... or is he more affected since he has trod on classic ground, seen every court, heard every king declare his royal sense of Operas and the fair.' R. Marlay's letter from Dublin to Lord Charlemont in Italy is undated but refers to events of February 1750.1 By that time Henry's uncle, Joseph Leeson, was living in a house near the Piazza di Spagna with 'Monsiu Arvi' and three servants.2 It would seem from Marlay's letter that Henry had already been some time abroad; he had possibly set out with Leeson's son (also called Joseph), who later joined the family party in Rome from the Academy at Turin.
In Rome he was caricatured by Ghezzi, a single drawing inscribed Guiseppe Henry Inglese, huomo assai erudite nella antichita e en lettera (Met. Mus. New York), and again in a group with Lord Bruce, Lord Midleton and Henry Martin (Philadelphia MA). His name and the year 1751 were found on the back of the canvas of Reynolds's Parody of the School of Athens (NGI);3 he heads Reynolds's list of sitters and takes the role of Diogenes the Cynic reclining on the steps with his back to the protagonists and the book in his hand is entitled Larry Grog (Laurence Grogan, a Co. Wexford gentleman of Johnstown Castle, a famous piper, whose popular ballad Ally Croker had for it's hero 'an artless young man just come from the schoolery'). In a smaller caricature by Reynolds (NGI), Henry is found seated with a witless expression on his face studying the plans of the Cloaca Maxima while Bruce, John Ward and Joseph Leeson junior are engaged in animated conversation over his head.4
Richard Wilson painted for him a pair of views around Tivoli (NGI) and again his name with the name of the artist and date 1752 were inscribed on the back of the canvases.3 The four paintings by Vernet (seen in his collection 1775), were ordered through Matthew Brettingham in May 17525 after the Leeson party had left Rome, the Leesons for Ireland and Henry intending for Spain.
According to Dr James Tyrrell, who seemingly acted as his agent in Florence, Henry spent the summer in Marseilles, 'being afraid of the heats of Spain', but he set out for that country early in October.6 Pictures painted for him by Antonio Joli included views of Aranjuez and Madrid and a bull fight, of which Joli engraved a plate for him, and there were also views in and around Naples.7
Three years later he is heard of at Pisa. Meeting him in January 1755 Robert Adam thought him 'a clever, sensible fellow: he has seen much of the world to purpose'.8 Adam met him again in Florence on 14 May 1757 when Mann spent four hours at his lodgings with 'one Mr Henry, an Irish gentleman of great estate and esteemed traveller of most taste that has been abroad these many years'. A few days later Adam and Mann dined with Henry.9 Among his acquisitions in Florence was a copy in crayon by Charles Martin of the Madonna della sedia, with copies of the Medici Venus and the Dancing Faun (which he presented to the Royal Dublin Society schools in 1786). On 11 January 1761 he was made a member of the Accademia del Disegno in Florence.(10) In August Lady Kildare wrote to her husband the news 'Little Joe: Henry is come to England; Lord Charlemont ask'd my leave to present him to me'.(11)
1. Charlemont MSS, 12.r.21,no.101 (HMC Charlemont 2:403 has 'John Henry' in error). 2. AVR sa, S.Lorenzo in Lucina. 3. M. Wynne, Apollo, 99[1974];110. 4. See C. O'Connor 1983, 9, 16, 19 - 22. 5. Lagrange, 336 - 7. 6. Wicklow MSS (Tyrrell, 8 Oct. 1752). C. O'Connor, Irish Studies, [1980], 139. 7. R. Twiss, Tour of Ireland, [1776], 24. 8. Fleming, Adam, 128 - 9. 9. Ibid., 232 - 3. 10. Wynne 1990, 537. 11. Leinster Corr., 1:104.
C. O'C.