Sir John Richardson

Inscriptionback to top

Incised (round left rim): JOHN RICHARDSON M. D.

This portraitback to top

Another cast of this medallion is in the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, signed and dated '1842'; it is listed by J. W. Goodison, Catalogue of Cambridge Portraits (1955), p 185 (344); a third also dated 1842 is in the collection of the Rev Edward Alston. A related marble medallion of 1844 is in the Linnean Society, London. The type was exhibited RA, 1844 (1346). The NPG medallion was presented at the same time as a companion medallion of Sir James Ross by Smith (NPG 887). Hooker thought they were both done in 1844, presumably the date when he purchased them, and described them as 'first-rate likenesses' (letter of 25 January 1892, NPG archives).

Provenanceback to top

Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, presented by him, 1892.

Exhibitionsback to top

Cumbrian Characters, Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, 1968 (60).


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 John Richardson