Charles Turner

Charles Turner, by Charles Turner, 1850 -NPG 1317 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue

Charles Turner

by Charles Turner
1850
30 in. x 24 7/8 in. (761 mm x 632 mm)
NPG 1317

Inscriptionback to top

Signed and dated (bottom right): C Turner/1850
Inscribed in ink on a label, formerly on the back of the picture, referring to the RA exhibition of 1856: No 2/Portrait of an Engraver/By/C. Turner. A. E./Warren Street Fitzroy Square/150

This portraitback to top

This was purchased with a drawing of the 3rd Earl Spencer by Turner ({NPG 1318|mw5944), but drawings of Sir Francis Chantrey and Lord George Bentinck by the same artist were declined. The head is very similar to that in a painting of Turner, probably also by himself, which was offered to the NPG in 1901 by G. Becker, recorded as in the collection of H. Krinsley, New York, 1959. It shows Turner seated at a table, working on his engraving of Sir Robert Peel after Lawrence, which further confirms the identity.

Physical descriptionback to top

Brown eyes, greyish hair. Dressed in a dark stock and neck-tie, white shirt, light waistcoat, and dark coat. Background grey. The portrait is predominantly in grisaille.

Provenanceback to top

The sitter; by descent to his daughter, Mrs Wilmot; sold after her death in Hastings; I. Adams; R. Beverley Homewood; Frederick Simpson, purchased from him, 1902.1

1 History of the portrait from the vendor in a letter of 7 March 1902 (NPG archives); he enclosed visiting cards from Adams and Homewood (both dealers), and a letter to Adams from the auctioneers, J. & A. Bray of Hastings, of 6 March 1902, who had sold Mrs Wilmot’s effects, confirming the provenance.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA, 1856 (619), with the title, 'Portrait of an engraver'.

Reproductionsback to top

Magazine of Art (1902), p 471.


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 Charles Turner