Sir (Francis) Leopold McClintock

1 portrait

Sir (Francis) Leopold McClintock, by Stephen Pearce, 1859 -NPG 1211 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue

Sir (Francis) Leopold McClintock

by Stephen Pearce
1859
50 in. x 40 1/8 in. (1270 mm x 1019 mm)
NPG 1211

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in ink on a label on the back, in the artist's hand: No 1. CAPTAIN/SIR F. LEOPOLD MCCLINTOCK./R.N: L.L.D: &C. &C. &C. LATE/COMMANDING LADY FRANKLIN'S ARCTIC/DISCOVERY YACHT. "FOX.”/PAINTED BY STEPHEN PEARCE/54 Queen Anne Street./Cavendish Square

This portraitback to top

The head in this portrait is apparently based on the smaller study of McClintock by Pearce (NPG 1226). McClintock is shown in the costume he wore on his voyage to the Arctic in 1859, against an idealized polar landscape; the ship is presumably the 'Fox'. The overall jumper, overall trousers and hat, as shown in the portrait, are in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. The date was provided by the artist in a memorandum of c.1899 (NPG archives).

Referenceback to top

Pearce 1903
S. Pearce, Memories of the Past (1903), pp 67 and 69.

Physical descriptionback to top

Healthy complexion, bluish-grey eyes, brown hair and whiskers. Dressed in a white collar, a natural linen overall jumper and overall trousers ('snow-repellers'), with brown gloves edged with fur, holding a black tarpaulin hat, black leather telescope case, white powder and shot pouch on a brown bandolier, carrying brown double-barrelled shot-gun. Whitish-grey and greyish-blue snowscape. Background colour various tones of orange, grey and brown.

Provenanceback to top

Commissioned or purchased by Colonel John Barrow, and bequeathed by him, 1899.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA, 1860 (242); probably the portrait (or NPG 1226) in the Royal Naval Exhibition, Chelsea, 1891 (50).

Reproductionsback to top

S. Pearce, Memories of the Past (1903), facing p 66.


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 Sir (Francis) Leopold McClintock

View all known portraits for Stephen Pearce