Elizabeth Carter
(1717-1806), Scholar and writerMid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue Entry
Sitter associated with 9 portraits
Encouraged by her father, a clergyman, to study, Carter applied herself with such perseverance that she became one of the most learned Englishwoman of her time, being mistress of Latin, Greek, Hebrew, and Arabic, besides several modern European languages. She rendered into English De Crousaz's Examen de l'essai de Monsieur Pope sur l'homme (1739); Algarotti's Newtonianismo per le Donne; the works of Epictetus (1758) and wrote a volume of poems. An icon of virtue and learning, Carter was later sought out by aspiring women writers, including the literary critic Elizabeth Montagu, with whom she developed a lifelong friendship and helped to establish the Bluestocking Circle.
Elizabeth Carter ('Elizabeth Carter as Minerva')
by John Fayram
oil on canvas, circa 1735-1741
On display in Room 9 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG L242
Portraits in the Characters of the Muses in the Temple of Apollo
by Richard Samuel
oil on canvas, 1778
On display at Royal Academy of Arts, London
NPG 4905
by Sir Thomas Lawrence
pastel on vellum, 1788-1789
NPG 28
Unknown sitter called Elizabeth Carter
by John Raphael Smith, published by James Birchall, after John Kitchingman
mezzotint, published 3 July 1781
NPG D4998
by Mackenzie, after Joachim Smith
stipple engraving, published 1 May 1807
NPG D13793
by Caroline Watson, after Sir Thomas Lawrence
stipple engraving, published 1808 (1788-1789)
NPG D32713
published by Dean & Munday, after Joachim Smith
stipple engraving, published 1 August 1821
NPG D13647
published by Dean & Munday, after Joachim Smith
stipple engraving, published 1 August 1821
NPG D13648
by Joseph Brown, published by Richard Bentley
line and stipple engraving, published 1861
NPG D14162
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.