Mid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue
Edward Gibbon (1737-1794), Historian; author of 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
c.1759?
Miniature by Penelope Carwardine. Private collection (illus. Gibbon, Letters, 1956, I, f.p.112). Probably the miniature set in a gold box which Gibbon gave Daniel Pavillard before 1763 (Gibbon, Letters, 1956, I, p 151n4) and the portrait of Gibbon ‘aged 21’ listed at Sheffield Place c.1804 (G. P. Harding, List of Portraits in Various Mansions of the United Kingdom, I, f.9).
1773
Painting by Henry Walton, see NPG 1443.
1779
Painting by Joshua Reynolds, half length with fur-trimmed coat and waistcoat. Dalmeny (D. Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds, I, 2000, no.725), at Sheffield Place until 1896. Exhibited RA 1780 (18). Engraved J. Hall 1780 and frequently thereafter; an enamel version, painted over the print by Hall is in the Victoria and Albert Museum (414.1409.1885).
A version attributed to James Northcote was with C. W. Traylen, Guildford, 1981, formerly with Lord St Germans. Copy sold Sotheby 22 February 1928, lot 22 as Walton from the Sheffield collection; other copies in pastel by J-S-L. Piot in the musée de Lausanne (illus. M. Bishop, Blake’s Hayley, 1951, f.p.160) and sold Christie’s, 19 March 1975, lot 124; miniature copies by Edward Miles (Sotheby’s, 15 March 1982, lot 145); J. Watts (seen by Scharf in 1882 when with William Baker; Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketch Books, 30/23), and attributed to Henry Bone (with Hallam Murray 1896). A drawing after Reynolds by Henry Edridge c.1795 was engraved by W. Ridley 1799.
1783
Painting by George Romney, three-quarter length seated, pointing to books on a table; painted for Hayley ‘the countenance exquisitely painted ... but the subordinate parts ... very far from being entitled to praise’ (W. Hayley, A Life of George Romney, 1809, pp 90-91). Small watercolour copy by Isaac Pocock sold Christie’s, 3 April 1878, lot 131 (Sir George Scharf's Sketch Books, 93/2).
c.1783?
Wedgwood medallion (illus. R. Reilly and G. Savage, Wedgwood the Portrait Medallions, 1973, p 173). Resembling a (reversed) engraving by B. Reading published in 1788 (European Mag.).
c.1790?
Drawing attributed to Thomas Lawrence, bust-length profile. Private collection (illus. Boswell, NPG, 1967, no.101 as James Boswell).
1791
Silhouette, whole-length standing, with Lord Sheffield. Private collection (illus. G. de Beer, Gibbon, 1967, p 101). Others show Gibbon whole-length seated or standing taking snuff (see D. M. Low, Gibbon, 1937, f.p.172).
1793
On 15 July 1793 Joseph Banks and Samuel Lysons were going to persuade Gibbon to sit to George Dance (Joseph Farington, Diary).
A portrait of Gibbon by the 1st Earl Lucan was at Sheffield Place c.1804 (G. P. Harding, List of Portraits in Various Mansions of the United Kingdom, I, f.9).
Undated
Engraving by Torchiana, Odoardo Gibbon, whole-length seated on a rock, from a drawing by Bosio (presumably J. B. F. Bosio).
Amateur drawings, by Lady Diana Beauclerk c.1780? and Lavinia, Countess Spencer, c.1785, are in the British Museum (illus. A Noble Art, British Museum, 2000, nos.181-82); another called Gibbon by George Townshend c.1775 (ibid. no.180) may show Lord North, see Guilford; a drawing by 'the Hon. William Wallace' shows Gibbon at table with Mme. De Silva at Geneva in 1791 (Holland House Cat., 1904, no.225; illus. G. de Beer, Gibbon, 1967, p 108); a caricature by the Rev. James Douglas, The Luminous Historian 1788 (illus. G. de Beer, Gibbon, 1967, p 106) 'gave great offence to Mr Gibbon, whose outer man Nature has not bestowed so much care upon, as that nobler counterpart, the mind' (H. Angelo, Reminiscences, 1904, I, p 332). See also NPG 3317.
Doubtful Portraits
Drawing by Thomas Patch, whole length, in a sketch book sold Sotheby’s, 21 March 1974, lot 44 (illus. G. de Beer, Gibbon, 1967, p 69).
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.
Miniature by Penelope Carwardine. Private collection (illus. Gibbon, Letters, 1956, I, f.p.112). Probably the miniature set in a gold box which Gibbon gave Daniel Pavillard before 1763 (Gibbon, Letters, 1956, I, p 151n4) and the portrait of Gibbon ‘aged 21’ listed at Sheffield Place c.1804 (G. P. Harding, List of Portraits in Various Mansions of the United Kingdom, I, f.9).
1773
Painting by Henry Walton, see NPG 1443.
1779
Painting by Joshua Reynolds, half length with fur-trimmed coat and waistcoat. Dalmeny (D. Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds, I, 2000, no.725), at Sheffield Place until 1896. Exhibited RA 1780 (18). Engraved J. Hall 1780 and frequently thereafter; an enamel version, painted over the print by Hall is in the Victoria and Albert Museum (414.1409.1885).
A version attributed to James Northcote was with C. W. Traylen, Guildford, 1981, formerly with Lord St Germans. Copy sold Sotheby 22 February 1928, lot 22 as Walton from the Sheffield collection; other copies in pastel by J-S-L. Piot in the musée de Lausanne (illus. M. Bishop, Blake’s Hayley, 1951, f.p.160) and sold Christie’s, 19 March 1975, lot 124; miniature copies by Edward Miles (Sotheby’s, 15 March 1982, lot 145); J. Watts (seen by Scharf in 1882 when with William Baker; Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketch Books, 30/23), and attributed to Henry Bone (with Hallam Murray 1896). A drawing after Reynolds by Henry Edridge c.1795 was engraved by W. Ridley 1799.
1783
Painting by George Romney, three-quarter length seated, pointing to books on a table; painted for Hayley ‘the countenance exquisitely painted ... but the subordinate parts ... very far from being entitled to praise’ (W. Hayley, A Life of George Romney, 1809, pp 90-91). Small watercolour copy by Isaac Pocock sold Christie’s, 3 April 1878, lot 131 (Sir George Scharf's Sketch Books, 93/2).
c.1783?
Wedgwood medallion (illus. R. Reilly and G. Savage, Wedgwood the Portrait Medallions, 1973, p 173). Resembling a (reversed) engraving by B. Reading published in 1788 (European Mag.).
c.1790?
Drawing attributed to Thomas Lawrence, bust-length profile. Private collection (illus. Boswell, NPG, 1967, no.101 as James Boswell).
1791
Silhouette, whole-length standing, with Lord Sheffield. Private collection (illus. G. de Beer, Gibbon, 1967, p 101). Others show Gibbon whole-length seated or standing taking snuff (see D. M. Low, Gibbon, 1937, f.p.172).
1793
On 15 July 1793 Joseph Banks and Samuel Lysons were going to persuade Gibbon to sit to George Dance (Joseph Farington, Diary).
A portrait of Gibbon by the 1st Earl Lucan was at Sheffield Place c.1804 (G. P. Harding, List of Portraits in Various Mansions of the United Kingdom, I, f.9).
Undated
Engraving by Torchiana, Odoardo Gibbon, whole-length seated on a rock, from a drawing by Bosio (presumably J. B. F. Bosio).
Amateur drawings, by Lady Diana Beauclerk c.1780? and Lavinia, Countess Spencer, c.1785, are in the British Museum (illus. A Noble Art, British Museum, 2000, nos.181-82); another called Gibbon by George Townshend c.1775 (ibid. no.180) may show Lord North, see Guilford; a drawing by 'the Hon. William Wallace' shows Gibbon at table with Mme. De Silva at Geneva in 1791 (Holland House Cat., 1904, no.225; illus. G. de Beer, Gibbon, 1967, p 108); a caricature by the Rev. James Douglas, The Luminous Historian 1788 (illus. G. de Beer, Gibbon, 1967, p 106) 'gave great offence to Mr Gibbon, whose outer man Nature has not bestowed so much care upon, as that nobler counterpart, the mind' (H. Angelo, Reminiscences, 1904, I, p 332). See also NPG 3317.
Doubtful Portraits
Drawing by Thomas Patch, whole length, in a sketch book sold Sotheby’s, 21 March 1974, lot 44 (illus. G. de Beer, Gibbon, 1967, p 69).
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.