John Burns Addressing an Open Air Audience
Oil painting by Alexander Joseph Finberg depicting John Burns addressing and open audience . 1897
Shows the bearded figure of John Burns in profile with his right arm outstretched, pointing to the left. Surrounded by a crowd of people which are bigger in the foreground and stretch away into the distance. Several banners can be seen in the background.
John Elliot Burns (1858–1943) was a Trade Unionist, Politician, and Social Reformer.
A leading figure in London politics, Burns was deeply connected to Battersea, where he championed working-class rights. Beginning as a socialist, he later served as a Liberal Member of Parliament and became President of the Local Government Board. Burns was one of the first working-class MPs, advocating for public health, housing reform, and municipal socialism, leaving a lasting legacy in British social and political history.
Black and gold frame.
Glazed
Artist Biography
Alexander Joseph Finberg (1866–1939) Art historian and scholar of British art, Finberg was a pivotal figure in the study of J.M.W. Turner. In 1905, he was commissioned to catalogue the Turner Bequest, leading to the rediscovery of numerous previously unknown works. His meticulous work laid the foundation for the Turner wing at Tate Britain. Finberg’s publications, including The Complete Inventory of the Drawings of the Turner Bequest (1909), remain essential resources for scholars. He co-founded the Walpole Society in 1911 to promote the study of British art history.
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