Regency Portraits Catalogue
Thomas Telford (1757-1834), Engineer
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
Many of the Telford portraits were shown in the Telford Centenary Exhibition held at the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1934.
1792
Oil by an unknown artist in Clive House Museum, Shrewsbury, head and shoulders as a young man, reproduced in Alastair Penfold, Thomas Telford: Colossus of Roads, 1981, p 25, no.54.
c.1812
Oil by Raeburn in Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, half-length in black coat, dark brown hair, romanticised; mezzotint by H. Macbeth-Raeburn exhibited RA 1936 (1311).
before 1817
Cameo by Ralph Beilby lent by T. Telford to the ICE Centenary Exhibition 1934 (70), reproduced in L. T. C. Rolt, Thomas Telford, 1985, p 17.
1820-2
Oil by Samuel Lane in the Institution of Civil Engineers, commissioned by the ICE in 1820 and exhibited RA 1822 (292); a line engraving by W. Raddon was published by Turrell 1831. A copy of the head was painted by W. M. Palin for the ICE c.1896.
c.1820
Oil by an unknown artist, 'Telford in a gig inspecting Works on the Caledonian Canal', lent by Lieut.-Col. P. H. Hone to the ICE Exhibition 1934 (51).
1828
Stipple engraving by R. H. Dyer exhibited SBA 1828 (817).
Drawing by Henry Meyer exhibited SBA 1828 (784) and known from a stipple vignette 'painted & engraved by Henry Meyer', published Fisher 1832.
1829
Oil by George Patten in Glasgow Art Gallery (3068), half-length seated holding plans of an aqueduct, signed and dated 1829.
c.1830
Cameo made into a brooch lent by Sir Alexander Gibb to the ICE Exhibition 1934 (69) and reproduced on cover of catalogue; this is possibly the wax medallion by John Henning mentioned in an advertisement of 1841 as being cast in white enamel glass (see John Malden, John Henning, 1977, 31).
1832
Marble bust by Peter Hollins in the Institution of Civil Engineers, incised: EXHIBITED AT THE/ROYAL ACADEMY BY/PETER HOLLINS/SCULPTOR/LONDON/1832, exhibited RA 1832 (1180) and reproduced Alastair Penfold, Thomas Telford: Colossus of Roads, 1981, p 74, no.248.
1834
Drawing by Brockedon (NPG 2515(67)).
Posthumous
1836
Statue (?plaster) by T. Denman exhibited RA 1836 (1075) - 'A small model of a statue of the late Thomas Telford Civil Engineer: on the pedestal is represented the Menai Bridge ...'.
Statue by C. A. Rivers exhibited SBA 1838 (636).
1839
Statue by E. H. Baily in Westminster Abbey; a copy is in the ICE.
1862
'Men of Science Living in 1807-8' by Gilbert (NPG 1075).
Memorial plaque at Bentpath (formerly Westerkirk) is reproduced in Country Life, 12 April, 1979, p 1078; a photograph of it is in the ICE where there are also unsigned watercolour drawings for a monument.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.
1792
Oil by an unknown artist in Clive House Museum, Shrewsbury, head and shoulders as a young man, reproduced in Alastair Penfold, Thomas Telford: Colossus of Roads, 1981, p 25, no.54.
c.1812
Oil by Raeburn in Lady Lever Art Gallery, Port Sunlight, half-length in black coat, dark brown hair, romanticised; mezzotint by H. Macbeth-Raeburn exhibited RA 1936 (1311).
before 1817
Cameo by Ralph Beilby lent by T. Telford to the ICE Centenary Exhibition 1934 (70), reproduced in L. T. C. Rolt, Thomas Telford, 1985, p 17.
1820-2
Oil by Samuel Lane in the Institution of Civil Engineers, commissioned by the ICE in 1820 and exhibited RA 1822 (292); a line engraving by W. Raddon was published by Turrell 1831. A copy of the head was painted by W. M. Palin for the ICE c.1896.
c.1820
Oil by an unknown artist, 'Telford in a gig inspecting Works on the Caledonian Canal', lent by Lieut.-Col. P. H. Hone to the ICE Exhibition 1934 (51).
1828
Stipple engraving by R. H. Dyer exhibited SBA 1828 (817).
Drawing by Henry Meyer exhibited SBA 1828 (784) and known from a stipple vignette 'painted & engraved by Henry Meyer', published Fisher 1832.
1829
Oil by George Patten in Glasgow Art Gallery (3068), half-length seated holding plans of an aqueduct, signed and dated 1829.
c.1830
Cameo made into a brooch lent by Sir Alexander Gibb to the ICE Exhibition 1934 (69) and reproduced on cover of catalogue; this is possibly the wax medallion by John Henning mentioned in an advertisement of 1841 as being cast in white enamel glass (see John Malden, John Henning, 1977, 31).
1832
Marble bust by Peter Hollins in the Institution of Civil Engineers, incised: EXHIBITED AT THE/ROYAL ACADEMY BY/PETER HOLLINS/SCULPTOR/LONDON/1832, exhibited RA 1832 (1180) and reproduced Alastair Penfold, Thomas Telford: Colossus of Roads, 1981, p 74, no.248.
1834
Drawing by Brockedon (NPG 2515(67)).
Posthumous
1836
Statue (?plaster) by T. Denman exhibited RA 1836 (1075) - 'A small model of a statue of the late Thomas Telford Civil Engineer: on the pedestal is represented the Menai Bridge ...'.
Statue by C. A. Rivers exhibited SBA 1838 (636).
1839
Statue by E. H. Baily in Westminster Abbey; a copy is in the ICE.
1862
'Men of Science Living in 1807-8' by Gilbert (NPG 1075).
Memorial plaque at Bentpath (formerly Westerkirk) is reproduced in Country Life, 12 April, 1979, p 1078; a photograph of it is in the ICE where there are also unsigned watercolour drawings for a monument.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.