Sir John Hawkins

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in ink verso: Sir John Hawkins Knt. Aetat Suae LXII.

This portraitback to top

The origin of NPG 5020 was explained by the sitter’s daughter; ‘my father had always refused, even to my mother’s request, to sit for his picture. He treated such a solicitude for being remembered, as foppery, for which he entertained the most unqualified contempt. We had therefore nothing approaching nearer to a portrait, than an outline taken by a friend by candlelight’. [1] An identical silhouette was with Limner Antiques, London, in 1985.

Footnotesback to top

1) L. M. Hawkins, Anecdotes, Biographical Sketches and Memoirs, 1822, p 137.

Provenanceback to top

Bought in 1969 by Mrs Edna Gray, by whom presented 1975.

Reproductionsback to top

Lambert 1822 (reversed) as Eetat Suae LXII (front. for L. M. Hawkins, Anecdotes, Biographical Sketches and Memoirs, 1822).


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.

View all known portraits for Sir John Hawkins