Thomas Love Peacock

Inscriptionback to top

Signed (lower right): R Jean
There is an obliterated inscription on the back of the card backboard.

This portraitback to top

This was purchased at the same time as a miniature of Peacock's mother, Sarah (reproduced Halliford edition, IV, frontispiece), and another of a man in 18th century naval uniform, possibly representing Peacock's father, Samuel, or his grandfather, Thomas; all three miniatures are mounted together. Miss Stickland also owned a miniature of Peacock's daughter, Margaret (reproduced Halliford edition, X, frontispiece), who died as a child. Although the identification of the NPG miniature of Peacock is only based on tradition, there seems little reason to doubt it. The date is based on costume and the apparent age of the sitter.

Referenceback to top

NPG Annual Report 1956-7 (1958), p 8.

Physical descriptionback to top

Greyish eyes, sandy hair. Dressed in a white stock, white shirt, and dark blue or black coat. Background colour greenish-grey.

Provenanceback to top

The sitter(?); by descent to his granddaughter, Edith Nicolls (Mrs Clarke); Mrs K. Hall Thorpe (her daughter), till 1956; Miss E. B. Clarke (Mrs Thorpe's sister); Miss Mary Stickland, from whom it was purchased, 1956.

Reproductionsback to top

C. Van Doren, The Life of Thomas Love Peacock (1911), facing p 28; The Works of Thomas Love Peacock, edited H. F. B. Brett-Smith and C. E. Jones (Halliford edition, 1924-34), I, XXX, frontispiece.


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 Thomas Love Peacock