Regency Portraits Catalogue
Elizabeth Inchbald (née Simpson) (1753-1821), Actress and writer
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
Hall's Catalogue of Dramatic Portraits in … Harvard College Library lists 19 prints, two in character parts - as 'Lady Abbess' in The Comedy of Errors, whole-length standing by Ramberg 1787, and as 'Lady Jane' in Rowe's Lady Jane Gray, whole-length standing by De Wilde 1791; De Wilde's oil for this is in the Garrick Club (233). Later portraits are:
1787-8
Oil or pastel by Russell engraved by Wooding 'From an Original Painting' for The European Magazine, 1 January 1788.
c.1787
Drawing by Cook, head and shoulders in oval known from an ornamented line engraving by Walker, published by Bellamy, 1 September, probably in Bellamy's Picturesque Magazine.
Oil by G. K. Ralph exhibited RA 1787 (202).
1794
Drawing by Dance (NPG 1144).
Stipple by T. S. Seed in Thespian Magazine.
1796
Unfinished oil by Lawrence begun 1796, lent to Lawrence Exhibition RA 1961 (35) by a descendant of the original owner, W. Dacres Adams (James Boaden, Memoirs of Mrs Inchbald, 1833, I, p 349, II, pp 246-8); Garlick lists two other possible portraits by Lawrence (Kenneth Garlick, ‘Catalogue of Paintings, Drawings and Pastels of Sir Thomas Lawrence’ in Walpole Society Journal, XXXIX, 1964, pp 110-11), one sold Sotheby's 23 March 1977 (85), half-length in white dress and turban.
1797
Portrait by S. Drummond, half-length in turban with ostrich feathers, known from a stipple engraving by Ridley in The Monthly Mirror, 1 June 1797.
c.1800
Oil by Opie at Petworth (428), half-length in black dress, white scarf; auburn hair.
Portrait, possibly crayon, by W. Porter exhibited RA 1800 (402).
1802
Pastel by Masquerier exhibited RA 1802 (556), reproduced R. See, Masquerier and his Circle, 1922, p 32.
c.1806
Oil, possibly by Harlow, known from Heath's stipple engraving 'From an Original Picture', published Longman & Co 1806, half-length seated to right, hands crossed on book; an enlarged version engraved later by Dean and used in James Boaden, Memoirs of Mrs Inchbald, 1833, I, frontispiece; Harlow made a pencil and sanguine drawing, half-length in ? nun's habit, signed and dated: GHH Aug 9. 1814 (Garrick Club 492).
1819
Miniature by Rose Drummond known from Hopwood's stipple in Ladies' Monthly Museum, 1 June 1819.
Undated
Oil by Hamilton in John Green sale Christie's 22 July 1871 (113).
Unfinished oil by Hoppner exhibited RA Old Masters 1879 (31) lent by Major Corbett.
Oil by Romney exhibited Second Exhibition of National Portraits, South Kensington, 1867 (682) lent by the Rev John Romney and again RA Old Masters 1895 (15) lent by Sir Charles Tennant (Tennant Catalogue, 1896, reproduced p 99).
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.
1787-8
Oil or pastel by Russell engraved by Wooding 'From an Original Painting' for The European Magazine, 1 January 1788.
c.1787
Drawing by Cook, head and shoulders in oval known from an ornamented line engraving by Walker, published by Bellamy, 1 September, probably in Bellamy's Picturesque Magazine.
Oil by G. K. Ralph exhibited RA 1787 (202).
1794
Drawing by Dance (NPG 1144).
Stipple by T. S. Seed in Thespian Magazine.
1796
Unfinished oil by Lawrence begun 1796, lent to Lawrence Exhibition RA 1961 (35) by a descendant of the original owner, W. Dacres Adams (James Boaden, Memoirs of Mrs Inchbald, 1833, I, p 349, II, pp 246-8); Garlick lists two other possible portraits by Lawrence (Kenneth Garlick, ‘Catalogue of Paintings, Drawings and Pastels of Sir Thomas Lawrence’ in Walpole Society Journal, XXXIX, 1964, pp 110-11), one sold Sotheby's 23 March 1977 (85), half-length in white dress and turban.
1797
Portrait by S. Drummond, half-length in turban with ostrich feathers, known from a stipple engraving by Ridley in The Monthly Mirror, 1 June 1797.
c.1800
Oil by Opie at Petworth (428), half-length in black dress, white scarf; auburn hair.
Portrait, possibly crayon, by W. Porter exhibited RA 1800 (402).
1802
Pastel by Masquerier exhibited RA 1802 (556), reproduced R. See, Masquerier and his Circle, 1922, p 32.
c.1806
Oil, possibly by Harlow, known from Heath's stipple engraving 'From an Original Picture', published Longman & Co 1806, half-length seated to right, hands crossed on book; an enlarged version engraved later by Dean and used in James Boaden, Memoirs of Mrs Inchbald, 1833, I, frontispiece; Harlow made a pencil and sanguine drawing, half-length in ? nun's habit, signed and dated: GHH Aug 9. 1814 (Garrick Club 492).
1819
Miniature by Rose Drummond known from Hopwood's stipple in Ladies' Monthly Museum, 1 June 1819.
Undated
Oil by Hamilton in John Green sale Christie's 22 July 1871 (113).
Unfinished oil by Hoppner exhibited RA Old Masters 1879 (31) lent by Major Corbett.
Oil by Romney exhibited Second Exhibition of National Portraits, South Kensington, 1867 (682) lent by the Rev John Romney and again RA Old Masters 1895 (15) lent by Sir Charles Tennant (Tennant Catalogue, 1896, reproduced p 99).
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.