Arthur Onslow, 3rd Earl of Onslow

Bonaparte Crossing the Alps
Paul Delaroche 1848

Arthur George Onslow, 3rd Earl of Onslow (25 October 1777-October 1870) was a British peer. He was the eldest child of the 2nd Earl and his wife Arabella Mainwaring-Ellerker (died 1782).

On 21 July 1818 he married Mary Fludyer, eldest daughter of George Fludyer of Ayston, County Rutland, esquire and of Lady Margaret Fane, daughter of the 9th Earl of Westmoreland. They had two children -

• Mary Augusta (b. 4 June 1819)
• Arthur-George (16 June 1820 - 2 August 1856), married 1 August 1850 Lady Katherine-Anne Cust (born 18 November 1822), 4th daughter of John, 1st Earl Brownslow. He and Katherine-Anne had 3 daughters

The 3rd Earl's wife predeceased him on 1 March 1830, as did his son, and so he died without surviving male issue and was succeeded as earl by his grandnephew, William (b. 1853).

He had a large Napoleonic collection and reportedly, on visiting the Louvre with Paul Delaroche in 1848, he commented on the implausibility and theatricality of David's painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps. He commissioned Delarouche to produce a more accurate version which featured Napoleon on a mule, entitled Bonaparte Crossing the Alps. Two versions survive, one at Liverpool and one at the Louvre. Elizabeth Foucart-Walker asserts that in fact the Louvre version of the ensuing work was produced first as it was already in America by 1850, when the Liverpool painting was produced. Stephen Bann suggests that Arthur George's meeting with Delaroche may have occurred, but Delaroche chose to produce two works that are almost identical and send one to America.

References

• Arthur George Onslow, 3rd Earl of Onslow in Debrett's Peerage for 1840
• Debrett's for 1861

Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Thomas Onslow	Earl of Onslow 1827–1870	Succeeded by William Onslow