John Doran

Inscriptionback to top

Signed (lower right): Spy
Inscribed on the mount: D^r John Doran, F.S.A./December 6, 1873

This portraitback to top

This is one of a large collection of original studies for Vanity Fair, which were all owned and specially mounted by the first proprietor of the magazine, Thomas Bowles. The water-colour of Doran was published in Vanity Fair as a coloured lithograph on 6 December 1873, as 'Men of the Day, no.72'.

Physical descriptionback to top

Healthy complexion, grey hair. Dressed in a white bow-tie, white shirt, black coat and shoes.

Provenanceback to top

Thomas Bowles; Vanity Fair Sale, Christie's, 6 March 1912 (lot 216); Edmund Gosse, an NPG trustee, presented by him, 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.

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