Early Georgian Portraits Catalogue
Thomas Coram (1668?-1751), Philanthropist
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
Two authentic portraits are known, both being connected with, and in, the institution established by Coram's efforts. The famous Hogarth, engraved short half length only by McArdell, 1749, is inscribed Painted and given by Wm. Hogarth, 1740 [1]. A signature and the same date, bottom left, were also revealed after cleaning in 1967. The sitter's name is on a letter, bottom right. A full size modern copy was presented to the Foundling Hospital by R. H. Nichols in 1946. The other type is the portrait known through the engraving by T. Priscott, 1741, after B. Nebot. [2] A small whole length oil corresponding with the engraving was found in the Southampton area by Sir Alec Martin who presented it to the Foundling Hospital in 1949. The engraving by ‘Brooke', 1751, [3] is from an original then owned by Dr Nesbit, a governor of the Hospital. Another, published by C. G. Dyer in 1817, is lettered B. Nebot pinx.t 1741. The Hospital also owns a drawing initialled M.C. [4] and statuettes based on the Hogarth by M. Lievesley, 1838, and R. W. Sievier, 1833. [5]
Wrongly named portraits include a sentimentalised pastiche of Hogarth's portrait of Lovat, [6] formerly ascribed to Hayman and one, said to be by Reynolds, which was in the 'Brighton Art Loan Exhibition', 1884 (248), from the collection of J. B. Tennant.
1) B. Nicolson, The Treasures of the Foundling Hospital (40).
2) B[althazar?] Nebot, fl. 1737-62.
3) B. Nicolson, The Treasures of the Foundling Hospital (64); cf. W. G. Strickland, A Dictionary of Irish Artists, 1913, I, p 113, discounting the attribution of this mezzotint to John Brooke; The Listener, 29 March 1951, illustrated p 504.
4) B. Nicolson, The Treasures of the Foundling Hospital (6).
5) Ibid (100 and 104).
6) J. F. Kerslake, 'Catalogue of the Principal Pictures and Sculptures in the Foundling Hospital', 1961 (unpublished MS, NPG library) (4).
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, 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.
Wrongly named portraits include a sentimentalised pastiche of Hogarth's portrait of Lovat, [6] formerly ascribed to Hayman and one, said to be by Reynolds, which was in the 'Brighton Art Loan Exhibition', 1884 (248), from the collection of J. B. Tennant.
1) B. Nicolson, The Treasures of the Foundling Hospital (40).
2) B[althazar?] Nebot, fl. 1737-62.
3) B. Nicolson, The Treasures of the Foundling Hospital (64); cf. W. G. Strickland, A Dictionary of Irish Artists, 1913, I, p 113, discounting the attribution of this mezzotint to John Brooke; The Listener, 29 March 1951, illustrated p 504.
4) B. Nicolson, The Treasures of the Foundling Hospital (6).
5) Ibid (100 and 104).
6) J. F. Kerslake, 'Catalogue of the Principal Pictures and Sculptures in the Foundling Hospital', 1961 (unpublished MS, NPG library) (4).
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, 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.