George Payne; Henry John Rous

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed on a label, originally on the back of the portrait: Admiral Rous,/- and - /George Paine [sic],/Original Oil Painting from/Life. By: - G. Thompson./Nottingham.

This portraitback to top

There are several water-colours of Rous and Payne, together and separate, by members of the Dighton family, which are strikingly similar to this painting: Victoria and Albert Museum; Jockey Club; collection of the Earl FitzWilliam; collection of Mrs Billson, 1938; Sotheby's, 14-15 November 1932 (lots 307 and 317); Bonham's, 10 April 1959 (lot 252); possibly Victorian Era Exhibition, 1897, 'Historical Section', 'sports sub-section' (147). It has been suggested that the NPG portrait is based on them, rather than vice-versa. The woodcut published ILN, V (1844), 72, also appears to be after Dighton.

Physical descriptionback to top

Payne; healthy complexion, brown hair and whiskers, dressed in a dark check cravat, white shirt, black suit, brown gloves, and black top-hat. Rous; healthy complexion, brown hair, grey whiskers, dressed in a blue-spotted cravat, white shirt, greenish-grey waistcoat, black coat, fawn trousers and black top-hat. Background colour light brownish-grey.

Provenanceback to top

Leggatt Brothers, purchased from them, 1938.


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 George Payne

View all known portraits for Henry John Rous