John Singleton Copley, Baron Lyndhurst

Inscriptionback to top

Signed (bottom right): G F Watts

This portraitback to top

Painted in 1862, this was the last portrait for which Lyndhurst sat. Watts appears to have retouched it sometime after 1868, as the photograph taken in that year at the SKM shows much more sharply defined features. Another version is in the Watts Gallery, and others once belonged to the sitter's family, and to C. H. Rickards; the last was exhibited Art Exhibition, Birmingham, 1885-6 (116), and sold at Christie's, 11 February 1911 (lot 129). Lady Lyndhurst complained to the artist that he had made her husband look too old ('Catalogue', II, 101).

Referenceback to top

Bateman 1901
C. T. Bateman, G. F. Watts, R.A. (1901), p 50.

Macmillan 1902
H. Macmillan, The Life-work of George Frederick Watts, R.A. (1902) p 85.

Watts
'Catalogue of Works by G. F. Watts', compiled by Mrs M. S. Watts (MS, Watts Gallery, Compton), II, 101.

Physical descriptionback to top

Bluish eyes, brown hair. Dressed in red and ermine peer's robes. Background colour dark brown.

Provenanceback to top

The artist, presented by him, 1883.

Exhibitionsback to top

SKM, 1868 (451); Winter Exhibition, Grosvenor Gallery, 1882, 'Collection of the Works of G. F. Watts' (33); Watts Exhibition, Arts Council at the Tate Gallery, 1954-5 (34).


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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