George Savile was a statesman and writer who sat in the English House of Commons in 1660, and was elevated to the House of Lords in 1668. Savile became a favorite of king Charles for his witty banter and viciously anti-French attitudes. In this portrait by Mary Beale he sits demurely, right hand in his jacket—a pose made forever famous by Napoleon in his 1812 portrait by Jacques-Louis David.
Joke’s on you, George Savile.
