James Harris

This portraitback to top

NPG 186 may be associated with an entry in the sitter’s diary, 24 February 1777, in which he recorded sitting to Mrs Reynolds. [1] It is a poor picture, hesitantly executed, [2] the head apparently derived from a now untraced wax medallion by Gosset. In the later nineteenth century the attribution wavered unrealistically between Reynolds [3] and Romney. [4] There is an exact copy at Wadham College, Oxford, [5] and a small watercolour copy remains with the sitter’s descendants.

Footnotesback to top

1) D. Burrows, letter of 15 February 1999 (NPG archives); R. Wendorf, Reynolds, 1996, p 78, lists Harris among Frances Reynolds’s sitters.
2) C. F. Bell first suggested it had been ‘cobbled together’ from different sources (undated letter; NPG archive).
3) A. Graves & W. V. Cronin, A History of the Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, II, p 440.
4) See H. Ward & W. Roberts, Romney, A Biographical and Critical Essay with a Catalogue Rainsonné of his Works, 1904, II, p 71; Mrs R. L. Poole, Catalogue of Portraits in the possession of the University, Colleges and City and County of Oxford, III, p 226, no.54.
5) Mrs R. L. Poole, Catalogue of Portraits in the possession of the University, Colleges and City and County of Oxford, III, p 226, inscribed verso: James Harris Esq, Author of Hermes 1780. Painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds; it was however engraved as by Romney (G. H. Every 1866).

Referenceback to top

Graves & Cronin 1899-1901
A. Graves & W. V. Cronin, A History of the Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, 4 vols., 1899-1901, IV, p 1335.

Ward & Roberts 1904
H. Ward & W. Roberts, Romney, A Biographical and Critical Essay with a Catalogue Rainsonné of his Works, II, p 71, as Romney.

Physical descriptionback to top

Blue-grey eyes, white-powdered wig, wearing a brown coat, green breeches and white stockings; he sits in a green chair, a deep red curtain behind him; on the table stands a book lettered: ARISTOTEUS/LOGIC ET ETHIC/VOL 1 & 2.

Provenanceback to top

By descent in the sitter’s family to the 3rd Earl of Malmesbury, by whom presented 1865.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, National Portrait Gallery, 2004, 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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