Mid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue

Nevil Maskelyne (1732-1811), Astronomer Royal

c.1775
Drawing attributed to John Russell, bust length with wig. Private collection. See NPG 1075.

1785
Painting by L. F. van der Puyl, three-quarter length seated in clerical gown, holding a diagram lettered PRISMATIC MICRO[SCOPE], above a book lettered: [MASK]ELINE’S/OBSERVATIONS/GREENWICH; a distant view of the Greenwich Observatory. Royal Society (illus. N. H. Robinson, Royal Society Catalogue of Portraits, 1980, p 214). Exhibited Second special exhibition of National Portraits (William and Mary to MDCCC), South Kensington,1867 (817). Engraved E. Scriven (bust length).

1801
Miniatures by William Theed and Mary Byrne, bust-length ovals in gown and bands. Private collection.

Pastel by John Russell, half-length oval, with a distant view of the Greenwich Observatory. Private collection (illus. M. Arnold Forster, Basset Down, 1950, p 39). Engraved anon. 1804 (European Mag. 1805); R. Page 1815.

Doubtful Portraits
Painting by John Downman 1779, half length, National Maritime Museum (BHC 2854), but Howse subsequently doubted the identity (letter, 19 April 1997; NPG archive).



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.