Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue
William Charles Macready (1793-1873), Actor and theatre manager; son of William Macready
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
The iconography of Macready consists, to a great extent, of popular engravings of him in various dramatic roles which have already been listed elsewhere, notably in L. A. Hall, Catalogue of Engraved Dramatic Portraits in the Theatre Collection of the Harvard College Library (Cambridge, Mass, 1932), III, 129-41 (155 items listed; various examples in NPG), and in the British Museum Catalogue of Engraved British Portraits, III (1912), 136-8. The following iconography omits these prints, and also photographs (see plate 591), and engravings after them (examples in NPG and elsewhere).
Paintings by S. De Wilde of 1810 (as Romeo), and undated (as Richard III), were formerly in the collections of Major-General C. F. N. Macready and E. Y. Lownes, reproduced The Diaries of Macready, edited W. Toynbee (1912), I, facing VIII, and 136, respectively, the former engraved by R. Woodman, published J. Cawthorn, 1810 (coloured example in British Museum); a painting by De Wilde (as Hamlet) was exhibited RA, 1812 (355); a painting by G. Clint of 1821 (as Macbeth) is in the Victoria and Albert Museum; a painting by H. P. Briggs of 1844 is in the Garrick Club, London, reproduced Diaries, I, frontispiece, exhibited RA, 1844 (182); also at the Garrick Club is a painting by J. Boaden (as Orestes in 'The Distressed Mother'), engraved by C. Picart, published Chapple, 1819 (example in NPG), for the 'Theatrical Inquisitor'; a painting by H. Inman of 1827 (as William Tell) was in the Players Club, New York (now untraced), and an oil study for this is in the Metropolitan Museum, New York (plate 587); Macready appears in 'Henry V, Act I, Scene I', a painting attributed to Gilbert, sold Christie's, 11 November 1966 (lot 156), bought Kyrle Fletcher; a painting by W. Bradley was exhibited Victorian Era Exhibition, 1897, 'Drama Section' (114), lent by the Brazenose Club, Manchester; a painting by an unknown artist was formerly in the Drury Lane Theatre Collection; a miniature ascribed to G. Engleheart (as Richard III) in the Engleheart Collection is apparently that by J. C. D. Engleheart exhibited RA, 1820 (802); there is another miniature by J. C. D. Engleheart (in ordinary dress) in the same collection, presumably that exhibited RA, 1824 (738); a miniature by R. Thorburn of 1844 was once in the collection of Major-General Macready, exhibited VE, 1892 (429), engraved by Posselwhite, published M. Holloway, 1844 (example in British Museum); a miniature by Miss M. Gillies (as Cardinal Richelieu) was exhibited RA, 1839 (918); there is a
profile drawing by G. Wightwick of 1869 in the NPG; a drawing by an unknown artist was exhibited Victorian Era Exhibition, 1897, 'Drama Section' (91), lent T. H. Wilson, and another drawing was exhibited Shakespeare, 1564-1964, Stratford, Connecticut, 1964 (8); a drawing by an unknown artist (as Richard III) was in the Drawing Shop, New York, 1963 (reproduction in NPG); an unlocated drawing by R. J. Lane (as Ion) is recorded in his 'Account Books' (NPG archives), II, 9, under 1836, lithographed by himself, published J. Mitchell, 1839 (example in NPG), presumably related to the drawing by Lane (with Ellen Tree as 'Clemanthe') exhibited RA, 1837 (742); busts by E. Davis and W. F. Spencer were exhibited RA, 1840 (1097), and 1868 (1119), respectively; busts either of Macready or of his father William Macready by G. Clarke and P. Hollins were exhibited RA, 1825 (987), and 1830 (1204), respectively; an engraving by J. Thomson, after a painting by S. Drummond, was published J. Asperne, 1821 (example in NPG), for the European Magazine; there is a lithograph by A. Lemoine, published J. Rigo (example in NPG), and an anonymous engraving (delivering his farewell address, 20 February 1850) (example in British Museum).
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1973, 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.
Paintings by S. De Wilde of 1810 (as Romeo), and undated (as Richard III), were formerly in the collections of Major-General C. F. N. Macready and E. Y. Lownes, reproduced The Diaries of Macready, edited W. Toynbee (1912), I, facing VIII, and 136, respectively, the former engraved by R. Woodman, published J. Cawthorn, 1810 (coloured example in British Museum); a painting by De Wilde (as Hamlet) was exhibited RA, 1812 (355); a painting by G. Clint of 1821 (as Macbeth) is in the Victoria and Albert Museum; a painting by H. P. Briggs of 1844 is in the Garrick Club, London, reproduced Diaries, I, frontispiece, exhibited RA, 1844 (182); also at the Garrick Club is a painting by J. Boaden (as Orestes in 'The Distressed Mother'), engraved by C. Picart, published Chapple, 1819 (example in NPG), for the 'Theatrical Inquisitor'; a painting by H. Inman of 1827 (as William Tell) was in the Players Club, New York (now untraced), and an oil study for this is in the Metropolitan Museum, New York (plate 587); Macready appears in 'Henry V, Act I, Scene I', a painting attributed to Gilbert, sold Christie's, 11 November 1966 (lot 156), bought Kyrle Fletcher; a painting by W. Bradley was exhibited Victorian Era Exhibition, 1897, 'Drama Section' (114), lent by the Brazenose Club, Manchester; a painting by an unknown artist was formerly in the Drury Lane Theatre Collection; a miniature ascribed to G. Engleheart (as Richard III) in the Engleheart Collection is apparently that by J. C. D. Engleheart exhibited RA, 1820 (802); there is another miniature by J. C. D. Engleheart (in ordinary dress) in the same collection, presumably that exhibited RA, 1824 (738); a miniature by R. Thorburn of 1844 was once in the collection of Major-General Macready, exhibited VE, 1892 (429), engraved by Posselwhite, published M. Holloway, 1844 (example in British Museum); a miniature by Miss M. Gillies (as Cardinal Richelieu) was exhibited RA, 1839 (918); there is a
profile drawing by G. Wightwick of 1869 in the NPG; a drawing by an unknown artist was exhibited Victorian Era Exhibition, 1897, 'Drama Section' (91), lent T. H. Wilson, and another drawing was exhibited Shakespeare, 1564-1964, Stratford, Connecticut, 1964 (8); a drawing by an unknown artist (as Richard III) was in the Drawing Shop, New York, 1963 (reproduction in NPG); an unlocated drawing by R. J. Lane (as Ion) is recorded in his 'Account Books' (NPG archives), II, 9, under 1836, lithographed by himself, published J. Mitchell, 1839 (example in NPG), presumably related to the drawing by Lane (with Ellen Tree as 'Clemanthe') exhibited RA, 1837 (742); busts by E. Davis and W. F. Spencer were exhibited RA, 1840 (1097), and 1868 (1119), respectively; busts either of Macready or of his father William Macready by G. Clarke and P. Hollins were exhibited RA, 1825 (987), and 1830 (1204), respectively; an engraving by J. Thomson, after a painting by S. Drummond, was published J. Asperne, 1821 (example in NPG), for the European Magazine; there is a lithograph by A. Lemoine, published J. Rigo (example in NPG), and an anonymous engraving (delivering his farewell address, 20 February 1850) (example in British Museum).
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1973, 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.