National Portrait Gallery - Person

Sir John Ross (1777-1856), Rear-Admiral and Arctic explorer

Sitter in 7 portraits
Ross became an Arctic explorer after distinguished naval service in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1818, he made his first voyage in search of the Northwest Passage to China. Deciding the route was blocked by mountains, Ross's reputation suffered when it was later shown that the mountains were an optical illusion. Ross rebounded by attracting funding, from the gin distiller Felix Booth, to command the first steam ship into the Arctic on another voyage to locate the Northwest Passage (1829-33).

List Thumbnail

Sir John Ross

by James Green
oil on canvas, 1833
On display in Room 19 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 314

Sir John Ross

by Maull & Polyblank
albumen print, arched top, 1855
NPG P120(25)

Sir John Ross

by Harriot or Harriet Arnold (née Gouldsmith), printed by Charles Joseph Hullmandel
lithograph, circa 1825-1850
NPG D19367

Sir John Ross

after Daniel Maclise
pen and ink, (early 1830s)
NPG D34556

Sir John Ross

by Richard James Lane, printed by Jérémie Graf, published by Joseph Dickinson, after Benjamin Rawlinson Faulkner
lithograph, published January 1834
NPG D21781