Portrait of Joseph Brotherton MP (1783-1857) three-quarter length, in black, holding a document inscribed with the names of the sitter and artist on an old label (to the reverse) oil on canvas 90 x 69.5cm; together with a cartoon taken from Punch titled 'Mrs. Brotherton Putting the House of Commons to Bed!' (2)

Joseph Brotherton was appointed minister for the new Bible Christian Church, Salford, in 1817 and held the position for the rest of his life. One of the core teachings of the Church was not to eat meat and Joseph and his wife Martha were strict vegetarians. In 1847, he held a meeting that established the Vegetarian Society. Additionally, following the Reform Act of 1832, Joseph was elected the first Member of Parliament for Salford and held the position over the course of five successive elections. He was a great parliamentarian and pushed for better factory reforms and advocated for the provision of public walks, gardens, museums and libraries. Due to Brotherton’s efforts, Salford became the first municipal authority to provide a free lending library, museum, and art gallery. He is also today widely considered to have been the first vegetarian Member of Parliament. The present portrait was engraved in mezzotint by Samuel William Reynolds Jr. and published in 1836.

Framed 120.5 x 100cm The painting is executed in oil on a canvas support which has been lined. The canvas tension is good and the picture is in plane. The darker passages of paint have an uneven texture with islands of raised paint. This is probably a result of the artist’s choice of materials and would have formed as the paint layers dried. The paint layers are stable overall. There are areas of overpaint across the surface which are generally well matched to the surface. The varnish is clear, even and semi-matte. There is a light layer of surface dirt present.