Mid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue
Robert Burns (1759-1796), Poet
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
Basil Skinner observed that none of the ‘authentic’ portraits (as discussed above and listed below 1786-1796), ‘with the possible exception of the Beugo engraving and the Miers silhouette, can claim our whole and unqualified acceptance in all respects’ (B. Skinner, Burns: Authentic Likenesses, 1963, p 5).
1786
Painting by Peter [Patrick] Taylor, half length in broad-brimmed black hat. Scottish NPG (PG 1356). Painted from the life in Edinburgh. A three-quarter length version, also in the Scottish NPG (PG 446), engraved J. Horsburgh 1830 (J. M. Gray, Magazine of Art, XVII, 1895, p 238-39; B. Skinner, Burns: Authentic Likenesses, 1963, pp 6-7, 14). A statue by John Greenshields 1830, based on the Taylor portrait is in Camperdown, Victoria.
1787
Painting by Alexander Nasmyth and engraving by J. Beugo, see NPG 46.
Silhouette by John Miers, bust length. Scottish NPG (PG 113). Other silhouettes are recorded by John Field, Samuel Houghton and George Bruce (B. Skinner, Burns: Authentic Likenesses, 1963, pp 9, 15).
1795-96
Miniature by Alexander Reid, bust length. Scottish NPG (PG 341). Presumed to be the miniature described by Burns in Dumfries early in 1795: 'I am just sitting to Reid in this town for a miniature; & I think he has hit by far the best likeness of me ever was taken'; later he thought the artist had spoiled it (Burns Corr. 1987, p 609; B. Skinner, Burns: Authentic Likenesses, 1963, pp 9-10, 15).
Posthumous
1796-98
Red chalk drawing by Alexander Skirving, a head, after Nasmyth. Scottish NPG (PG 745). See NPG 46.
c.1797
Wax by John Dell. Victoria and Albert Museum (A.39.1970; illus. E. J. Pyke, A Biographical Dictionary of Wax Modellers, 1973, pl.72).
1801
Medallion by William Tassie, ultimately based on the Reid miniature of 1795. Plaster copy in the Scottish NPG (PG 425).
1807
Medallion by John Henning. Paisley Burns Club. Plaster copy in the Scottish NPG (PG 1275).
1819
Marble monument by Peter Turnerelli, Burns ploughing with the figure of Inspiration above. Dumfries National Monument. The figure replaced by a copy by Hermon Cawthra 1936.
1822-26
Marble statue by John Flaxman, completed by Thomas Denman. Scottish NPG (PGL 139; illus. M. Whinney, Sculpture in Britain 1530-1830, 1964, pl.149A), lent by the City of Edinburgh; originally placed in the Burns monument on Calton Hill, Edinburgh. A fund for the monument had been raised by George Thomson, who gave a plaster model to Col. W. N. Burns in 1847 (now Edinburgh City Art Centre); a clay model is in the Soane Museum. There are many bronze reductions.
1827-28
Painting by Alexander Nasmyth, whole length in broad-brimmed black hat, his arms folded, standing in a landscape with Alloa bridge. Scottish NPG (PG 1062). Engraved W. Miller 1828. Commissioned by Robert Chambers for Lockhart’s Life of Burns, 1828, and worked up from a pencil sketch made at Alloa in 1786 (Scottish NPG, PG 1380; illus. B. Skinner, Burns: Authentic Likenesses, 1963, f.p.8), the head based on the 1787 portrait. A version by William Tannock was sold Sotheby’s, 30 April 1980, lot 228.
1844
Statue by David Dunbar, exhibited Westminster Hall. A cast of Burns skull taken by Dunbar c.1834 is in the Scottish NPG (PG 183). A bust by Dunbar, probably a plaster, exhibited Crystal Palace (Samuel Phillips, The Portrait Gallery of the Crystal Palace, 1854, no.410).
1845
Bust by Patric Park. Burns monument, Ayr.
In the second half of the nineteenth century the production of Burns statues and busts began in earnest. His bust by John Steell was placed in Westminster Abbey in 1885, but his memory was celebrated principally by Scots at home or abroad. The Andrew Carnegie libraries in America each contained an obligatory bust of Burns (nearly three and a half thousand) and many remain scattered throughout America, Canada and Australia (see J. Mackay, Robert Burns, 1992, pp 723-24). The Burns industry, from paintings to soap tablets, has been reviewed by J. Mackay, Burnsiana, 1988, and for the Burns memorials, see E. Goodwillie, World Memorials of Robert Burns, 1911.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, National Portrait Gallery, 2004, 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.
1786
Painting by Peter [Patrick] Taylor, half length in broad-brimmed black hat. Scottish NPG (PG 1356). Painted from the life in Edinburgh. A three-quarter length version, also in the Scottish NPG (PG 446), engraved J. Horsburgh 1830 (J. M. Gray, Magazine of Art, XVII, 1895, p 238-39; B. Skinner, Burns: Authentic Likenesses, 1963, pp 6-7, 14). A statue by John Greenshields 1830, based on the Taylor portrait is in Camperdown, Victoria.
1787
Painting by Alexander Nasmyth and engraving by J. Beugo, see NPG 46.
Silhouette by John Miers, bust length. Scottish NPG (PG 113). Other silhouettes are recorded by John Field, Samuel Houghton and George Bruce (B. Skinner, Burns: Authentic Likenesses, 1963, pp 9, 15).
1795-96
Miniature by Alexander Reid, bust length. Scottish NPG (PG 341). Presumed to be the miniature described by Burns in Dumfries early in 1795: 'I am just sitting to Reid in this town for a miniature; & I think he has hit by far the best likeness of me ever was taken'; later he thought the artist had spoiled it (Burns Corr. 1987, p 609; B. Skinner, Burns: Authentic Likenesses, 1963, pp 9-10, 15).
Posthumous
1796-98
Red chalk drawing by Alexander Skirving, a head, after Nasmyth. Scottish NPG (PG 745). See NPG 46.
c.1797
Wax by John Dell. Victoria and Albert Museum (A.39.1970; illus. E. J. Pyke, A Biographical Dictionary of Wax Modellers, 1973, pl.72).
1801
Medallion by William Tassie, ultimately based on the Reid miniature of 1795. Plaster copy in the Scottish NPG (PG 425).
1807
Medallion by John Henning. Paisley Burns Club. Plaster copy in the Scottish NPG (PG 1275).
1819
Marble monument by Peter Turnerelli, Burns ploughing with the figure of Inspiration above. Dumfries National Monument. The figure replaced by a copy by Hermon Cawthra 1936.
1822-26
Marble statue by John Flaxman, completed by Thomas Denman. Scottish NPG (PGL 139; illus. M. Whinney, Sculpture in Britain 1530-1830, 1964, pl.149A), lent by the City of Edinburgh; originally placed in the Burns monument on Calton Hill, Edinburgh. A fund for the monument had been raised by George Thomson, who gave a plaster model to Col. W. N. Burns in 1847 (now Edinburgh City Art Centre); a clay model is in the Soane Museum. There are many bronze reductions.
1827-28
Painting by Alexander Nasmyth, whole length in broad-brimmed black hat, his arms folded, standing in a landscape with Alloa bridge. Scottish NPG (PG 1062). Engraved W. Miller 1828. Commissioned by Robert Chambers for Lockhart’s Life of Burns, 1828, and worked up from a pencil sketch made at Alloa in 1786 (Scottish NPG, PG 1380; illus. B. Skinner, Burns: Authentic Likenesses, 1963, f.p.8), the head based on the 1787 portrait. A version by William Tannock was sold Sotheby’s, 30 April 1980, lot 228.
1844
Statue by David Dunbar, exhibited Westminster Hall. A cast of Burns skull taken by Dunbar c.1834 is in the Scottish NPG (PG 183). A bust by Dunbar, probably a plaster, exhibited Crystal Palace (Samuel Phillips, The Portrait Gallery of the Crystal Palace, 1854, no.410).
1845
Bust by Patric Park. Burns monument, Ayr.
In the second half of the nineteenth century the production of Burns statues and busts began in earnest. His bust by John Steell was placed in Westminster Abbey in 1885, but his memory was celebrated principally by Scots at home or abroad. The Andrew Carnegie libraries in America each contained an obligatory bust of Burns (nearly three and a half thousand) and many remain scattered throughout America, Canada and Australia (see J. Mackay, Robert Burns, 1992, pp 723-24). The Burns industry, from paintings to soap tablets, has been reviewed by J. Mackay, Burnsiana, 1988, and for the Burns memorials, see E. Goodwillie, World Memorials of Robert Burns, 1911.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, National Portrait Gallery, 2004, 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.