Stratford Canning, Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe

Inscriptionback to top

Signed (bottom right): G. F. Watts
Inscribed on a label, formerly on the back of the stretcher: G. F. Watts. Little Holland House/No 3. Portrait of the late/Lord Stratford de Redcliffe

This portraitback to top

Painted in Constantinople during the winter of 1856-7. Watts accompanied Sir Charles Newton on an archaeological expedition to Halicarnassus, and was sent back by him to Constantinople to obtain some kind of permit from the Sultan. During this same visit Watts painted Admiral Lyons (NPG 685). In her biography, Mrs Watts wrote:

'Lord Stratford consented to sit for two portraits: one of these now in the National Portrait Gallery was unfinished and was completed many years later. When speaking generally of the confidences made to him by his sitters, Signor used to say that Lord Stratford was the most indiscreet of them all. Perhaps he knew best the loyalty of his painter.'
The second Watts portrait, showing the sitter in ordinary dress, is reproduced in Mrs Watts' catalogue; the head is almost identical to that in the NPG portrait.

Referenceback to top

Watts 1912
[Mrs] M. S. Watts, George Frederic Watts (1912), I, 165.

Watts
'Catalogue of Works by G. F. Watts', compiled by Mrs M. S. Watts (Ms, Watts Gallery, Compton), II, 150.

Physical descriptionback to top

Healthy complexion, pale blue eyes, white hair. Dressed in a brown stock, white shirt, and white ermine peer's robes. Background colour red.

Provenanceback to top

The artist, presented by him, 1883.

Exhibitionsback to top

Winter Exhibition, Grosvenor Gallery, 1882 (197).


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.

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