John Ramsay McCulloch

This portraitback to top

According to Mr Reid, the sitter's son-in-law (postscript to a letter from his son, J. R. Reid, 28 April 1883, NPG archives), this portrait was painted for Mr Jardine, a government engineer; it was hanging in the old Stationery Office around 1840, presumably soon after it was painted.

Physical descriptionback to top

Dark complexion, brown eyes and hair. Dressed in a dark stock, white shirt, black waistcoat and suit. Holding a brown, leather-bound volume of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations, on a red-figured table-cloth, on which are also papers, books and a gilt inkstand. Behind is a greenish globe. Behind the sitter on the left is an armchair covered in red velvet, and a red-figured curtain which covers most of the background. Strip on the right dark brown.

Provenanceback to top

Commissioned by Mr Jardine and bequeathed or presented by him to the sitter's widow, Mrs McCulloch; by descent to her daughter, Mrs Margaret Cox, and bequeathed by her, 1883.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA, 1840 (385).


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 John Ramsay McCulloch