Search the Collection

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

(1848-1930), Prime Minister and philosopher

20th Century Portraits Catalogue Entry

Sitter in 140 portraits
Born at Whittingehame House, East Lothian and educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge; Balfour first made his mark as a philosopher, publishing A Defence of Philosophic Doubt in 1879; he entered politics in 1874 through the patronage of his uncle, Lord Salisbury, as a Conservative member for Hertford; succeeded Salisbury as Prime Minister in 1902 but was unable to keep together a party divided by issues of Free Trade and Protectionism and resigned in 1905; during the First World War he worked as First Lord of the Admiralty and, from 1916 to 1919, as Foreign Secretary; Balfour continued in politics until the age of eighty, having served for twenty-seven years as a member of the cabinet.

2 Likes voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Make a donation Close

List Thumbnail

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, by Sir Francis Carruthers Gould ('F.C.G.') - NPG 2864a

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by Sir Francis Carruthers Gould ('F.C.G.')
pen and ink, circa 1900-1908
NPG 2864a

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, by John Singer Sargent - NPG 6620

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by John Singer Sargent
oil on canvas, 1908
On display in Room 24 on Floor 2 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 6620

Statesmen of World War I, by Sir James Guthrie - NPG 2463

Statesmen of World War I

by Sir James Guthrie
oil on canvas, 1924-1930
On display in Room 25 on Floor 2 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 2463

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, published by Charles Bruce - NPG x197718

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

published by Charles Bruce
collotype postcard print, 1900s (circa 1864)
NPG x197718

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, by London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company - NPG x22246

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by London Stereoscopic & Photographic Company
albumen cabinet card, 1870s-1900s
NPG x22246

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, by James Russell & Sons, published by  Charles Newman & Co - NPG Ax15876

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by James Russell & Sons, published by Charles Newman & Co
carbon print, 1887; published before 1895
NPG Ax15876

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, by James Russell & Sons, published by  Ogden's - NPG x197000

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by James Russell & Sons, published by Ogden's
cigarette card, 1887, published circa 1895-1906
NPG x197000

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, by James Russell & Sons, published by  Rotary Photographic Co Ltd - NPG x197715

Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour

by James Russell & Sons, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
bromide postcard print, early 1900s (1887)
NPG x197715

Comments back to top

We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.

If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.