Regency Portraits Catalogue
John Dalton (1766-1844), Chemist and natural philosopher
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
The portraiture of Dalton is treated in A. L. Smyth, John Dalton 1766-1844: a Bibliography, 1966, pp 63-70, on which the following iconography is based.
1814
Oil by Joseph Allen painted in 1814 and given to the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society in 1816 was destroyed in the air-raids of 1940; a line engraving by Worthington was published in 1823 and re-issued in 1834; a slightly smaller oil copy, possibly by Allen himself, is in the Salford Art Gallery; a replica of the original, by Maude Neale 1946, is in the Dalton Room of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society.
1825
Oil by Lonsdale in Manchester University, engraved in mezzotint by C. Turner 1834; pen and wash drawing, possibly by Turner himself, in Wellcome Institute (Burgess, 755.3, reproduced p 65).
1834
Drawings by Chantrey and Brockedon (NPG 316a(27), (28), (29), (30) and 2515(66)).
c.1834
Caricature by XYZ (possibly Thackeray) of Dalton thanking Gerrit Moll for defending English Science 'Dedicated but not with permission to the British Association for the Advancement of Science' (copy in the Royal Institution RC 0292) and see E. M. Brockbank, John Dalton, 1944, pp 54-6).
1835
Oil by Thomas Phillips (Sitter Book, April 1835) exhibited RA 1836 (415), untraced but formerly in collection of Mr Duckworth of Beechwood (W. C. Henry, Memoirs of … John Dalton, 1854, p 205).
c.1840
Marble bust by Holme Cardwell in the Christie Library, Manchester, exhibited RA 1840 (1128); casts are in the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society and Cambridge University Chemistry Laboratory.
Oil by R. B. Faulkner in the Royal Society collection, exhibited RA 1840 (37); a copy in Manchester Town Hall.
Watercolour drawing by Charles Jordan in Manchester Medical Society collection, reproduced E. M. Brockbank, John Dalton, 1944, p 477.
1841-2
Daguerreotype by John Nicklin reproduced in L. L. Ardern. 'A unique John Dalton photograph?' in Proceedings of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, 104, 1961-2.
1842
Paper medallion by Carter (NPG 1102).
c.1842
Drawing by James Stephenson 'greatly enlarged from a photographic portrait of the venerable doctor taken during the present month' (June 1842), untraced but known from a line engraving (A. L. Smyth, John Dalton 1766-1844: a Bibliography, 1966, 458); a large line engraving by Stephenson was published in 1845 based on the Nicklin daguerreotype; an etching by Stephenson showing Dalton in profile holding a bell jar was copied in line and wash by J. Derome (or Jerome) and is in Manchester Art Gallery (6560).
Undated
Two profile engravings by W. Morton in Manchester Public Library.
Anon. watercolour drawing in Scottish NPG (145).
Posthumous
1851
Stone statue by C. E. Smith in Manchester (destroyed).
1854
Bronze statue by Theed in Piccadilly, Manchester, enlarged from Chantrey's seated marble.
1862
'Men of Science Living in 1807-8' by Sir John Gilbert (NPG 1075).
1886-7
Mural painting by Ford Madox Brown in Manchester Town Hall, 'Dalton collecting marsh gas'; watercolour drawing in Royal Institution (RC 0167).
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, 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.
1814
Oil by Joseph Allen painted in 1814 and given to the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society in 1816 was destroyed in the air-raids of 1940; a line engraving by Worthington was published in 1823 and re-issued in 1834; a slightly smaller oil copy, possibly by Allen himself, is in the Salford Art Gallery; a replica of the original, by Maude Neale 1946, is in the Dalton Room of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society.
1825
Oil by Lonsdale in Manchester University, engraved in mezzotint by C. Turner 1834; pen and wash drawing, possibly by Turner himself, in Wellcome Institute (Burgess, 755.3, reproduced p 65).
1834
Drawings by Chantrey and Brockedon (NPG 316a(27), (28), (29), (30) and 2515(66)).
c.1834
Caricature by XYZ (possibly Thackeray) of Dalton thanking Gerrit Moll for defending English Science 'Dedicated but not with permission to the British Association for the Advancement of Science' (copy in the Royal Institution RC 0292) and see E. M. Brockbank, John Dalton, 1944, pp 54-6).
1835
Oil by Thomas Phillips (Sitter Book, April 1835) exhibited RA 1836 (415), untraced but formerly in collection of Mr Duckworth of Beechwood (W. C. Henry, Memoirs of … John Dalton, 1854, p 205).
c.1840
Marble bust by Holme Cardwell in the Christie Library, Manchester, exhibited RA 1840 (1128); casts are in the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society and Cambridge University Chemistry Laboratory.
Oil by R. B. Faulkner in the Royal Society collection, exhibited RA 1840 (37); a copy in Manchester Town Hall.
Watercolour drawing by Charles Jordan in Manchester Medical Society collection, reproduced E. M. Brockbank, John Dalton, 1944, p 477.
1841-2
Daguerreotype by John Nicklin reproduced in L. L. Ardern. 'A unique John Dalton photograph?' in Proceedings of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, 104, 1961-2.
1842
Paper medallion by Carter (NPG 1102).
c.1842
Drawing by James Stephenson 'greatly enlarged from a photographic portrait of the venerable doctor taken during the present month' (June 1842), untraced but known from a line engraving (A. L. Smyth, John Dalton 1766-1844: a Bibliography, 1966, 458); a large line engraving by Stephenson was published in 1845 based on the Nicklin daguerreotype; an etching by Stephenson showing Dalton in profile holding a bell jar was copied in line and wash by J. Derome (or Jerome) and is in Manchester Art Gallery (6560).
Undated
Two profile engravings by W. Morton in Manchester Public Library.
Anon. watercolour drawing in Scottish NPG (145).
Posthumous
1851
Stone statue by C. E. Smith in Manchester (destroyed).
1854
Bronze statue by Theed in Piccadilly, Manchester, enlarged from Chantrey's seated marble.
1862
'Men of Science Living in 1807-8' by Sir John Gilbert (NPG 1075).
1886-7
Mural painting by Ford Madox Brown in Manchester Town Hall, 'Dalton collecting marsh gas'; watercolour drawing in Royal Institution (RC 0167).
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, 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.