Grace Darling

Inscriptionback to top

Signed and dated in pencil (bottom left): From the life Nov^r 13. HP Parker
Inscribed in ink in Grace Darling's hand (bottom centre): Grace Horsley Darling and in pencil in Parker's hand: autograph

This portraitback to top

Parker arrived at Longstone Lighthouse in the early part of November 1838, accompanied by the artist, James Carmichael. They had letters of introduction from Albany Hancock, and from David Dunbar, who had already sculpted Grace (NPG 998); both letters are quoted in Constance Smedley, Grace Darling and her Times (1932), pp 124-5. Carmichael had already executed a pair of imaginary water-colours of the rescue, now in the Grace Darling Museum, Bamburgh (there is a further water-colour by Carmichael there), which were lithographed and sold for a guinea each (reproduced Smedley, facing p 126). He and Parker had decided to collaborate on a picture which would be as accurate and realistic as possible, Parker painting the figures, and Carmichael the seascape. Executed under the direction of Grace and her father, this picture, also in the Grace Darling Museum, is in many ways the most powerful and authentic of all the rescue scenes; it was engraved by D. Lucas (examples in the Grace Darling Museum and the collection of the Marine Society), and is reproduced Smedley, facing p 8. A smaller version by Carmichael alone is also in the Grace Darling Museum. Parker took great pains with the likeness of Grace, writing to Lucas, the engraver, on 26 April 1839 (Smedley, p 129):

'There is a compressed expression of the mouth which is very peculiar to Grace Darling ... There is also a peculiar character about the lower part of the face and chin ... It is somewhat of Bonaparte's character.'
Parker executed at least four sketches of Grace Darling herself during his visit to the lighthouse, two of which are in the NPG, and another two in the Grace Darling Museum, Bamburgh. These last two were presented in 1964 by Dr Kathleen Rutherford, the artist's great-granddaughter (they are part of a set of four by Parker, with Grace Darling's father and mother), and are reproduced by Armstrong, facing pp 104 and 136. One of them is inscribed: 'The original sketch of Grace Horsley Darling for which/she she sat for the likeness. Nov^r 10. 1838 Longstone Light[house].' This is very similar in the pose of the head to NPG 1663, which was executed at the same sitting. The head in the other sketch in the Grace Darling Museum is similar to NPG 1662, but the clothes are different. [1] In painting Grace for the picture of 'The Rescue', Parker seems to have relied chiefly on his sketch of 10 November in the Grace Darling Museum. It is interesting to note that he owned the cape which Grace Darling had worn during the exploit, and which he used in the 10 November sketch, together with a plaid. A letter from his granddaughter, Amy Nordeley, in 1912 (NPG archives), states that the cape is mounted on paper, with a sepia drawing above it. Both cape and drawing are now in the Grace Darling Museum.
By 24 November 1838, Parker was back in Newcastle-on-Tyne, for on that day he wrote a letter to William Darling (quoted by Smedley, pp 126-7), asking what had happened to a piece of the wreck he had been promised. He also referred to another picture he was painting, apparently that entitled, 'The Darlings Supplying Refreshments to Brooks and the Lifeboat Crew', engraved by C. G. Lewis (example in the Grace Darling Museum). Other correspondence between Parker and William Darling is quoted by Constance Smedley, pp 128-31.

Footnotesback to top

1) Grace Darling appears to be wearing the camlet cloak given to her at Christmas 1838 by the Duke of Northumberland. This would date the Grace Darling Museum drawing to 1839. The cloak is now in the Grace Darling Museum.

Referenceback to top

Armstrong 1965
R. Armstrong, Grace Darling: Maid and Myth (1965), p 81.

Physical descriptionback to top

Healthy complexion, brown eyes, brown hair. Blue and brown washes on clothes and background.

Provenanceback to top

The artist; Anne Parker (his daughter), purchased from her niece, Mrs Frances Parker Cole, 1912.


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.

View all known portraits for Grace Darling