Sir Charles Barry

Sir Charles Barry, by John Prescott Knight, circa 1851 -NPG 1272 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue

Sir Charles Barry

by John Prescott Knight
circa 1851
57 in. x 44 in. (1448 mm x 1118 mm)
NPG 1272

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed on a damaged label on the stretcher: Portrait of Charles B[arry]

This portraitback to top

Barry is shown with a pair of compasses in his hand, resting his elbow on some partly unrolled architectural plans, which lie on top of a Gothic cupboard (possibly a sideboard or desk). In the background is a view of part of the New Palace of Westminster under construction, to which the plans presumably refer. This may have been the House of Commons, which was not formally opened until 1852, and only fully completed, after Barry's death, by his son.

Referenceback to top

Dyson 1971
H. Dyson, John Prescott Knight, R.A.: A Catalogue (Stafford Historical & Civic Society, 1971), no. 143.

Physical descriptionback to top

Florid complexion, brown eyes, brown hair. Dressed in dark stock, white shirt, black suit and gold watch-chain. Gothic furniture light-brown. Plans in pencil and scarlet wash. Background, including view of the New Palace, dark brown.

Provenanceback to top

The sitter, presented by his son, Bishop A. Barry, 1900.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA, 1851 (85); Barry Exhibition, Royal Institute of British Architects, 1960.

Reproductionsback to top

Magazine of Art(1901), p 415; Country Life, CCXVIII (1960), 796.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1973, 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.

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