Early Georgian Portraits Catalogue: Arrangement

Editorial note (2011): the volume of plates, volume two, is not reproduced in this online edition. Links to illustrations of many of the portraits are given in individual entries.

Arrangement

Except for the group portraits which follow the main sequence and are in chronological order, the entries in volume one and the companion volume of plates, volume two, are arranged in alphabetical order of sitters. At the end of volume one, there are separate indices of artists, engravers and collections. In volume two are reproduced all the portraits owned by the National Portrait Gallery and, wherever possible, an example of each main type.

Apart from the groups, where only item 3 below applies, the order within the entries is as follows:

1. A brief biographical account based, with permission, on the Concise Dictionary of National Biography.

2. Discussion, in chronological order, of each portrait of the sitter on the National Portrait Gallery register.

3. The National Portrait Gallery accession number, artist, date, medium and measurements (actual size, height before width) precede a short word description of the portrait, or group portrait, and details of signature, inscriptions, and labels. Then follows an examination of the portrait, or group, particularly in relation to other versions. Additional notes on condition, provenance (collections), engravings, exhibitions, the sitter's appearance (where available), and literature are under these headings.

It should be noted that a number of the Gallery's portraits have been cleaned since going to press.

4. A final section, Iconography, lists the known portraits (types), wherever located.