The Generous Georgian: Dr Richard Mead

Dr Richard Mead (1673-1754) was one of the most eminent physicians, patrons, collectors and philanthropists of his day, as well as a significant figure in the early history of the Foundling Hospital.

A leading expert on poisons, scurvy, smallpox and public health, Mead’s eminent patients included Queen Anne, George II, Sir Isaac Newton and the painter Antoine Watteau. A man of action, Mead explored poisons by drinking snake venom, and is said to have defended his theory on smallpox treatment to the point of fighting a duel.

His home on Great Ormond Street backed onto the Foundling Hospital grounds, and housed a magnificent collection of paintings, sculptures, antiquities, coins and a library of over 10,000 volumes. Painters and scholars were given free access to Mead’s renowned collection until his death, when it was sold, dispersed and subsequently forgotten. Examining its significance in London’s cultural landscape, this exhibition reunites key objects from his life and collection, such as the ancient bronze Arundel Head (2nd Century BC) and Allan Ramsay’s half-length portrait of Mead.

Exploring Mead ‘in the round’, as a collector, philanthropist and physician, this exhibition will bring to light the Foundling Hospital’s relationship with a truly remarkable individual who according to his contemporary Samuel Johnson, “lived more in the broad sunshine of life than almost any man”.