George Harcourt 2nd Earl Harcourt (1736 - 1809)

RA Collection: People and Organisations

Politician, patron of the arts, and gardener.

Son of Simon Harcourt, 1st Earl Harcourt, who died in 1777 until which time George was known as Viscount Nuneham.

An amateur pastelist, he took lessons from George Knapton in the 1750s. He undertook the Grand Tour (Germany and Italy), between 1754-6.

Harcourt was elected to parliament for St Albans in 1761, remaining a member until 1767. In 1772 Harcourt began to redesign the gardens at Nuneham Courtenay, assisted by William Mason, moving on to the park in 1777. From 1779 Capability Brown was brought in to advise, on the park and gardens and Paul Sandby on the interior of the house.

Profile

Born: 1 August 1736

Died: 20 April 1809

Works by George Harcourt in the RA Collection

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Associated books

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