Later Victorian Portraits Catalogue

Self-portraits
Possible self-portrait
By other artists
Photographs
Undated photograph

Self-portraitsback to top

Crane’s Reminiscences (1907) contains a number of self-caricatures as well as the likenesses listed below.

1866
?Pencil drawing, signed in monogram and dated top right, head-and-shoulders, profile to left; untraced. Repr. Crane 1907, facing p.92.

early 1870s
Pen and ink caricature, in letter to George Howard, 9th Earl of Carlisle, regarding proposed mural paintings at 1 Palace Green, London, whole-length, profile to right, standing on chair, holding outsize palette and brushes, with Edward Burne-Jones and stepladder to right, wineglasses to left; Castle Howard Archive. Repr. MacCarthy 2011, p.268. The figure of Burne-Jones is annotated ‘Ye Gt Master’, that of Crane ‘Ye Pupil’.

1883
Pen and ink drawing, 278 x 212mm, signed in monogram and dated top right 15 Aug. 1883, half-length, full-face, holding sketchbook and pen; coll. Anthony Crane. Repr. Smith & Hyde 1989, p.96, cat.C10.

1885–6
Watercolour and bodycolour drawing, 612 x 763mm, The Apotheosis of Italian Art, depicting Italian artists, whole-length, standing, profile to left, in costume as Cimabue, holding brushes and palette; Manchester AG, 1917.4. Exh. Grosvenor G., London, 1886 (16, as ‘Artists of Italy’); repr. Crane 1907, facing p.280 (as ‘The Arts of Italy’).
The drawing relates to the occasion in May 1885 when Crane organized a tableau for a fancy-dress ball at the RIPWC to celebrate its establishment in new buildings in Piccadilly; see Crane 1907, pp.280–84. See also the photographs by Emery Walker listed below (‘c.1897’).
Drawing, original sketch for part of above, signed and dated 1885–6, showing Florentine artists only but entitled Venice, Florence and Rome; untraced. Repr. The Pictures of 1886 – Grosvenor Gallery, publ. in vol. form by Pall Mall Gazette, London, 1886, p.49.

1905
Black ink lithograph, 310 x 228mm, signed and dated lower right, head-and-shoulders to left; colls Fitzwilliam M., Cambridge, P.3019-R; (as 210 x 190mm) BM, London, 1906,1017.1. See Smith & Hyde 1989, p.97, cat.C14.

Pen and ink drawing, 385 x 270mm, for Daily Chronicle, half-length, profile to left; Whitworth AG, Manchester, WAG IRN: 44144.

c.1905
Caricature, My First cocktail, whole-length, profile, seated to left, holding mug containing small cockerel; untraced. Repr. Crane 1907, p.364.

1912
Oil on canvas, 910 x 685mm, inscr. ‘WALTER CRANE / NAT:1845’ top right, signed and dated lower left, half-length, profile to left, holding palette, in front of Florence’s emblem, ‘the Florentine lily’, and the Palazzo della Signoria through window; Uffizi, Florence, 1890 no.3758. Repr. Chiarini 1979, p.850, no.A267; New York & Houston 1988, no.30.

Possible self-portraitback to top

c.1910
Coloured pencil drawing on paper, 433 x 317mm, three-quarter-length, profile to left, painting a ceramic vase; Whitworth AG, Manchester, WAG 44146.

By other artistsback to top

1848
Oil on canvas by Thomas Crane, Walter Crane’s father, oval; coll. Anthony Crane. See Smith & Hyde 1989, p.110, cat.D6.

c.1848
Chalk drawing 446 x 301mm, by Thomas Carne, half-length, standing to left as small boy, hands clasped in front, facing front and looking to right; coll. Scott Thomas Buckle.

c.1857
Silhouette, presumably by Thomas Crane, head-and-shoulders, profile to right, ‘at about the age of twelve’; untraced. Repr. Crane 1907, p.55.

1882
Watercolour by Thomas Walter Wilson, The Members of the Institute [of Painters in Water-colour] Touching Day 1882, head-and-shoulders, profile to right, in group of 88 sitters; untraced. Probably exh. IPWC 1883 (342a); repr. Graphic, 28 Apr. 1883, p.422 (with key, Crane no.20); Christie’s, 9 May 1984.
See also Boughton, Clausen, Gregory, Hayes, Herkomer, Hine, Lucas, Parsons, Tenniel, W.L. Thomas, J.W. Waterhouse.

1886
Caricature drawings by Jill Houghton, Crane’s cousin, inscr. ‘Jill & the Lion’ (a visual parody of Crane’s Baby’s Own Aesop (1886)), head, profiles to left and right; untraced. Repr. Crane 1907, p.277.

1888
Drawing by unidentified artist for Mr Crane’s Lecture (Decorative Art), three-quarter-length, standing, profile to left, reading from sheet addressing Liverpool Art Congress for inaugural meeting of the National Association for the Advancement of Art and its Application to Industry, Dec. 1888; untraced. Engr. by Tilby repr. ILN, 15 Dec. 1888, p.707 (on page with similar representations of George Aitchison and others).
See also Alma-Tadema, Leighton.

publ. 1888
Drawing by unidentified artist, possibly ‘J.H’ for The National Association for the Advancement of Art and its Application to Industry, half-length, standing, profile to right, holding papers (no.2 on key), at the Liverpool Congress, Dec. 1888; untraced. Repr. Graphic, 15 Dec. 1888, cover; and Dorment 1985, p.94, fig.51.
See also Alma-Tadema, Ford, Gilbert, Hunt, Leighton, W. Morris.

1889
Bronze bust by George Blackall-Simonds, head, looking left; coll. AWG, London. Exh. RA 1889 (2141; ‘to be placed in the Hall of the Art-Workers Guild’); repr. Massé 1935, pl.2.

1890
Red chalk drawing, 470 x 381mm, by E.R. Hughes, signed and dated with dedication to Mrs Crane; untraced; Sotheby’s, 10 May 1939 (21, unsold). See Crane 1907, p.235 for his acquaintance with Hughes.

1891
Oil on canvas by George Frederic Watts; see NPG 1750.

c.1893
Statuette by Ludwig Cauer, whole-length, standing, head turned to right; untraced. Exh. RA 1893 (1729); engr. by Meisenbach repr. ILN, 3 June 1893, supplement p.3.

1896
Lithographic chalk drawing, 209 x 159mm, by William Rothenstein, head-and-shoulders, half-profile to left; untraced. Repr. Rothenstein 1926, no.93, pl.15.

Lithographs by William Rothenstein:
(a) 337 x 267mm (image), signed and dated lower left ‘Will R.96’, half-length, profile to left, right elbow on table or sill; NPG D32126. Ref. and repr. Roy Davids Coll., Bonhams, London, 29 Mar. 2011 (276, I); see Rothenstein 1926, p.94, no.43 (where given as 321 x 232mm).
(b) 317 x 238mm (image), signed and dated centre right ‘Will R 96’, half-length, standing, almost profile to right, eyes down; NPG D32127. See Rothenstein 1926, p.94, no.42.
(c) 495 x 357mm, signed and dated top right ‘Will R.96’, three-quarter-length, standing, profile to left, right arm resting on table. Repr. Davids 2000 (30).
(d) 270 x 244mm, signed and dated ‘Will R. 96’, head-and-shoulders, profile to left, right arm resting on table. See Rothenstein 1926, no.41.
Three of the four are also in BM, London (ref. O’Donoghue 1908–1922, vol.1, p.512, nos 1–3).

1897
Lithograph, 304 x 200mm (image), by William Rothenstein, signed and dated ‘W.R. 97’, three-quarter-length, standing, profile to left, holding palette and brushes; NPG D32128. Publ. Rothenstein 1898a, no.20. See Rothenstein 1926, p.100, no.86.

1898
Silverpoint drawing, 243 x 191mm, by Alphonse Legros, signed and dated lower right, head, profile to left; Louvre, Paris, RF15898. Repr. Crane 1907, facing p.450 (where described as goldpoint).

publ. 1899
Lithograph 297 x 223mm, after design by Theodore Blake Wirgman, signed, whole-length standing to right in gateway with long hair, pointed beard and moustache, wearing large cap and holding lettered board, courtyard and gatehouse behind; British Museum, 1921,0819.18. Repr. The Studio, special number 1899 (details not known). On 29 June 1899 the AWG staged a pageant entitled ‘Beauty's Awakening’ in which Crane appeared in costume as Albrecht Dürer.
Pencil drawing, 229 x 165mm, by unidentified artist after Wirgman's image, inscr. lower right ‘Walter Crane as Albert Durer / July 26th 1899', head-and-shoulders only; coll. Scott Thomas Buckle [1].

1900
Caricature drawing by Geza Farago, done in Budapest, inscr. ‘with apologies and kindest regards’, whole-length, profile to right, in medieval-style costume; untraced. Repr. Crane 1907, p.479.

1901
Mosaic panel by Diespeker & Co., whole-length, profile to left holding artist's palette and brushes, among ten figures incl. Aston Webb; on outside wall of Lecture Theatre block, V&A, London. Ref. Physick 1982, pp.216–17 (repr. p.217, fig.257).

publ.1902
Pen and ink caricature drawing by (John) Bernard Partridge, A Council at the Royal Academy, full length, seated to front, in front row third from right, wearing toga; untraced. Repr. Punch, 21 May 1902, p.363; and Trippi 2002, p.167, fig.136.
See also Alma-Tadema, Brock, East, Frampton, Goodall, Herkomer, Orchardson, Poynter, Richmond, Stone, J.H. Thomas, Thornycroft, J.W. Waterhouse, Watts, Wells, Whistler.

1911
Black chalk drawing, 254 x 171mm, by Flora Lion, signed and dated; untraced. Exh. A Fraternity of Artists, Christopher Wood Gallery, London, 1984 (64) (presumably the drawing sold Sotheby’s Printed Books, 25 June and 9 July 1984, bought Langton, as part of lot 651).

Photographsback to top

1862
Carte-de-visite by unidentified photographer, whole-length, half-profile to right, left knee resting on seat of chair. Repr. Crane 1907, facing p.80.

1865
Carte-de-visite format by unidentified photographer, whole-length, full-face, standing, left hand holding open sketchbook. Repr. Crane 1907, facing p.80.

c.1875
Albumen cabinet card, 146 x 103mm, by Elliott & Fry, three-quarter-length, full-face, seated to left, holding hat; NPG x7002.

1886
Platinum prints, 145 x 103mm, by Frederick Hollyer:
(a) half-length, profile to right, looking down and leaning on back of chair; V&A, London, 7724-1938. Detail repr. Henderson 1967, pl.67.
(b) three-quarter-length, nearly full-face, leaning fowards with chin on left hand and elbow on knee; V&A, London, 7725-1938, coll. Hollyer ‘Portraits of Many Persons of Note’. Repr. MA, 1903, p.356; Engen 1975, frontispiece.
(c) 160 x 104mm, signed by sitter with date of presentation to W.S. Scudder, Boston, 14 Dec. 1891, head-and-shoulders, near profile to right. Repr. The Year’s Art 1891, facing p.102.

1888
Photograph by unidentified photographer, ‘Our Party In Greece’, in group, whole-length, reclining against steps. Repr. Crane 1907, facing p.316.

before 1891
Carbon print, 247 x 178mm, by H.R. Barraud, three-quarter-length, full-face, looking left, arms crossed, seated astride chair; colls NPG Ax5523; The Rob Dickins Coll., Watts G., Compton, COMWG2008.4330. Repr. MWD, vol.4, 1891; Maas 1984, p.100; cropped half-length version Sotheby’s (Maas sale), 1 July 2004 (in lot 306) and Roy Davids Coll., Bonhams, London, 29 Mar. 2011 (276, ii).

c.1897
Photograph by Russell & Sons, wearing light-coloured coat over dark jacket, two poses:
(a) head-and-shoulders, near-profile to left. Repr. Idler, 1897, p.748.
(b) head-and-shoulders, full profile to left; coll. AWG, London, ‘Portraits of Old Brethren’, vol.2, p.60. Repr. The Year’s Art 1900, frontispiece.

Four whole-plate glass negatives by Emery Walker, whole-length, dressed in the costume of Cimabue, seated or standing outdoors on a carpeted wooden staircase, variant poses; NPG x19678 NPG x19679 NPG x19680, NPG x131224.
The costume is plainly related to the occasion in May 1885 of a fancy-dress ball at the RIPWC to celebrate its establishment in new buildings in Piccadilly; see Crane 1907, pp.280–84. Friends and artistic colleagues took roles in the tableau organized by Crane, which represented the Arts of Italy, with himself as Cimabue and his wife Mary Frances as Laura, who is shown seated next to him in costume in NPG x19680. See above (‘Self-portraits, 1885–6’) for the watercolour of this tableau, in which Crane’s costume is identifiably that shown in Walker’s photographs. In the photographs, however, Crane is older than he was in 1885, and the images are thought to date from the coming-of-age celebrations for the Cranes’ son Lionel in 1897.

c.1898–9
Bromide print, 202 x 300mm, by unidentified photographer, signed by sitter lower centre, half-length, seated with a large group, mainly women; NPG x28069. From the architectural setting, almost certainly the courtyard of the present V&A, and from the sitter at the far right, on grounds of likeness identified as Edouard Lantéri, this photograph presumably shows Crane during his brief tenure as Principal of the RCA (Oct. 1898–Mar. 1899). Lantéri was Professor of Sculpture at the college.

1899
Carbon print, 227 x 315mm, by Fradelle & Young, in multi-figure group at a banquet in honour of Lawrence Alma-Tadema at the Whitehall Rooms, London, 4 Nov. 1899 (presence confirmed on sheet of over 100 signatures); NPG x19022. Repr. MA, 1900, p.137; and Swanson 1990, p.85.
See also Alma-Tadema, Boughton, Brock, Clausen, J. Collier, East, E.O. Ford, Frampton, Gregory, Hacker, Lucas, Parsons, Sant, Solomon, Spielmann, W.H. Thornycroft, J.W. Waterhouse, A. Webb.

1900
Photograph by unidentified photographer, with his wife in Hungary, whole-length, standing, near profile to left, holding notebook. Repr. Spencer 1975, p.186.

c.1900
Photograph by unidentified photographer, half-length, wearing smock, in front of his painting of Knights Jousting; original neg. coll. Getty Images.

1906
Photograph by John Alfred Gotch, on architectural trip to Suffolk with Reginald Blomfield, whole-length, standing, back view, with binocular case; RIBA Library Photographs Coll.

c.1909
Photograph by (John) Furley Lewis, half-length, seated, right hand on knee; RPS, Bath, 817.

c.1910
Bromide print, cut to oval 165 x 110mm, by unidentified photographer, signed by sitter, head-and-shoulders, profile to left, wearing spotted bowtie; NPG x7003.

1911
Three whole-plate glass negatives by Alexander Bassano, taken 13 Apr. 1911:
(a) half-length, full-face, seated, left fist to chin; NPG x102338.
(b) three-quarter-length, full-face, seated, elbows on arms of carved chair; NPG x102339.
(c) head-and-shoulders, profile to left; NPG x102340.

Undated photographback to top

Photograph by unidentified photographer, signed by sitter, nearly whole-length, near-profile to left, standing in wintry garden wearing fur-trimmed overcoat, reading magazine; coll. AWG, London.

Footnote
1) With thanks to Scott Thomas Buckle for pointing out the connection between his drawing and the BM image, May 2016.

Dr Jan Marsh