Mid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue
George Bridges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney (1718-1792), Admiral
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
c.1756-59
Painting by Joshua Reynolds, see NPG 1398.
c.1760
Unattributed painting, half length, dark hair, wearing the uniform of a rear-admiral. National Maritime Museum (BHC2969).
1768
Painting by Hugh Barron, A gentleman’s family in conversation, exhibited Society of Artists, London, 1768 (8), see Wal. Soc., XXVII, 1939, p 61.
1780
Painting by Hugh Barron, three-quarter length, in admiral’s uniform. Engraved V. Green 1780; reduced versions anon. 1785, J. Chapman 1796, and [R.] Page 1811. Reduced copy sold Christie’s, 22 July 1988, lot 217.
c.1780
Drawing by Hugh Barron, bust-length oval, bareheaded in admiral’s uniform. Christie’s, 12 November 1968, lot 10. Engraved C. Knight 1781; anon. 1815. The head relates closely, in reverse, to that in Barron’s three-quarter length portrait, see above.
Anon. engraving, bust-length oval, bare-headed, in admiral’s uniform; published Fielding & Walker, 1 April 1780; later versions engraved [E.] Harding 1800, and Kirkwood.
1780-82
A series of anon. and unsophisticated portraits, in uniform with cocked hat, appeared on medals struck to mark the victories of Cape St Vincent 1780, St Eustatius 1780, and the Battle of the Saints 1782 (L. Brown, A Catalogue of British Historical Medals 1760-1960: The Accession of George III to the Death of William IV, 1980, nos.225-26, 229-38, 243-45).
1783-86
Painting by Thomas Gainsborough, whole length, with the ribbon of the Bath, as the victor in the Battle of the Saints. Dalmeny (illus. E. K. Waterhouse, Gainsborough, 1958, no.583, pl.280). Engraved G. Dupont 1788. A version attributed to Dupont was in the Groult collection, Bordeaux; a chalk copy in the National Maritime Museum (illus. Mariner’s Mirror, XXVIII, 1942, f.p.177).
1784
Painting by R. E. Pine, whole-length standing ‘in action aboard the Formidable, attended by his principal officers [Cranstoun, Dashwood and Douglas]’. Historical Institute, Kingston, Jamaica (illus. Connoisseur, LXX, 1924, p 46). Exhibited RA 1784 (378).
1786
Painting by Gilbert Stuart for Sir John Taylor, Lysson Hall, Jamaica (W. T. Whitley, Gilbert Stuart, 1932, p 59).
Monument by John Bacon sr., whole-length all’antica, right arm extended. Spanish Town, Jamaica (illus. Connoisseur, LXXVI, 1926, p 37; Sculpture Journal, II, 1998, p 48). Commissioned by the Jamaica House of Assembly, Rodney’s victory in the Battle of the Saints having saved the island from the French. Whinney (M. Whinney, Sculpture in Britain 1530-1830, 1964, p 168) described it as ‘a foolish production in classical dress.’
c.1786?
Unattributed bust all’antica formerly Royal United Services Club, London. The angle of the head similar to the Bacon monument; see also Silvester below.
1788
Bust by Silvester, exhibited RA 1788 (656).
Painting by Joshua Reynolds, whole-length striding, in admiral’s full-dress uniform with the ribbon of the Bath. Royal Collection, commissioned by the Prince of Wales (Sir Oliver Millar, The Later Georgian Pictures in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, I, 1969, no.1026; D. Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds, I, 2000, no.1545). Exhibited RA 1789 (225). Engraved E. Scriven. ‘The light falls on each accident of the face, on the sunken eye, the craggy nose, the shrunk grim mouth that disdains false teeth’ (D. Piper, The English Face, 1957, p 201). Copies by Shepperson 1824 (National Maritime Museum; BHC 2971); G. F. Clarke (formerly with the Admiralty) and Bullock pre-1840 (formerly Royal United Services Club, London); a miniature copy by William Grimaldi in the Royal Collection (R. J. B. Walker, The eighteenth and early nineteenth century Miniatures in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1992, no.823) and a watercolour copy by him is listed (Rev. A. Grimaldi, A Catalogue of Paintings, Drawings & Engravings by and after William Grimaldi, 1873, p 49).
1791
Painting by J-L. Mosnier, three-quarter length seated in admiral’s full-dress uniform with the ribbon of the Bath. National Maritime Museum (BHC 2970). Exhibited RA 1793 (99). Engraved J. Cochran 1833. Copy in the Guildhall Art Gallery, London (64; presented c.1793), and a miniature copy by MB 1824 sold Christie’s South Kensington, 24 May 1994, lot 22.
c.1810
A modello by John Bacon jr., whole length in contemporary dress. Victoria and Albert Museum (A.20.1931; illus. Sculpture Journal, II, 1998, p 54). Convincingly identified by Joan Coutu (loc. cit.) as a submission for the St Paul’s monument, a commission given to Rossi, see below. A sketch by John Flaxman for a Rodney monument was sold Sotheby’s, 26 March 1975, lot 142, perhaps relating to the same commission.
1811
Monument by J. C. F. Rossi, whole-length figure in naval uniform standing between the figures of Fame and History. St Paul’s Cathedral (illus. M. Whinney, Sculpture in Britain 1530-1830, 1964, pl.161b as 1810-15).
Doubtful Portraits
Paintings by George Beare 1744 (Sotheby’s, NY, 14 October 1998, lot 127; previously Christie’s, 10 June 1912, lot 96); by Allan Ramsay (A. Smart, ed. J. Ingamells, Allan Ramsay, a complete catalogue of his Paintings, 1999, no.447); unattributed (Holburne Museum, Bath; illus. J. D. Spinney, Rodney, 1969, f.p.128); unattributed, with William Green, Liverpool, in 1862 (Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketch Books, 7/28).
Miniatures sold Christie’s SK, 1 December 1988, lot 42; formerly attributed to Engleheart, Clarke Collection (illus. G. C. Williamson & H. L. D. Engleheart, George Engleheart, 1902, p.26b; Portrait Miniatures from the Clarke Collection, Scottish NPG 2001, no.34, as by Abraham Daniel); by Zincke exhibited Royal House of Guelph, New Gallery, London, 1891 (1022) lent J. Whitehead.
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.
Painting by Joshua Reynolds, see NPG 1398.
c.1760
Unattributed painting, half length, dark hair, wearing the uniform of a rear-admiral. National Maritime Museum (BHC2969).
1768
Painting by Hugh Barron, A gentleman’s family in conversation, exhibited Society of Artists, London, 1768 (8), see Wal. Soc., XXVII, 1939, p 61.
1780
Painting by Hugh Barron, three-quarter length, in admiral’s uniform. Engraved V. Green 1780; reduced versions anon. 1785, J. Chapman 1796, and [R.] Page 1811. Reduced copy sold Christie’s, 22 July 1988, lot 217.
c.1780
Drawing by Hugh Barron, bust-length oval, bareheaded in admiral’s uniform. Christie’s, 12 November 1968, lot 10. Engraved C. Knight 1781; anon. 1815. The head relates closely, in reverse, to that in Barron’s three-quarter length portrait, see above.
Anon. engraving, bust-length oval, bare-headed, in admiral’s uniform; published Fielding & Walker, 1 April 1780; later versions engraved [E.] Harding 1800, and Kirkwood.
1780-82
A series of anon. and unsophisticated portraits, in uniform with cocked hat, appeared on medals struck to mark the victories of Cape St Vincent 1780, St Eustatius 1780, and the Battle of the Saints 1782 (L. Brown, A Catalogue of British Historical Medals 1760-1960: The Accession of George III to the Death of William IV, 1980, nos.225-26, 229-38, 243-45).
1783-86
Painting by Thomas Gainsborough, whole length, with the ribbon of the Bath, as the victor in the Battle of the Saints. Dalmeny (illus. E. K. Waterhouse, Gainsborough, 1958, no.583, pl.280). Engraved G. Dupont 1788. A version attributed to Dupont was in the Groult collection, Bordeaux; a chalk copy in the National Maritime Museum (illus. Mariner’s Mirror, XXVIII, 1942, f.p.177).
1784
Painting by R. E. Pine, whole-length standing ‘in action aboard the Formidable, attended by his principal officers [Cranstoun, Dashwood and Douglas]’. Historical Institute, Kingston, Jamaica (illus. Connoisseur, LXX, 1924, p 46). Exhibited RA 1784 (378).
1786
Painting by Gilbert Stuart for Sir John Taylor, Lysson Hall, Jamaica (W. T. Whitley, Gilbert Stuart, 1932, p 59).
Monument by John Bacon sr., whole-length all’antica, right arm extended. Spanish Town, Jamaica (illus. Connoisseur, LXXVI, 1926, p 37; Sculpture Journal, II, 1998, p 48). Commissioned by the Jamaica House of Assembly, Rodney’s victory in the Battle of the Saints having saved the island from the French. Whinney (M. Whinney, Sculpture in Britain 1530-1830, 1964, p 168) described it as ‘a foolish production in classical dress.’
c.1786?
Unattributed bust all’antica formerly Royal United Services Club, London. The angle of the head similar to the Bacon monument; see also Silvester below.
1788
Bust by Silvester, exhibited RA 1788 (656).
Painting by Joshua Reynolds, whole-length striding, in admiral’s full-dress uniform with the ribbon of the Bath. Royal Collection, commissioned by the Prince of Wales (Sir Oliver Millar, The Later Georgian Pictures in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, I, 1969, no.1026; D. Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds, I, 2000, no.1545). Exhibited RA 1789 (225). Engraved E. Scriven. ‘The light falls on each accident of the face, on the sunken eye, the craggy nose, the shrunk grim mouth that disdains false teeth’ (D. Piper, The English Face, 1957, p 201). Copies by Shepperson 1824 (National Maritime Museum; BHC 2971); G. F. Clarke (formerly with the Admiralty) and Bullock pre-1840 (formerly Royal United Services Club, London); a miniature copy by William Grimaldi in the Royal Collection (R. J. B. Walker, The eighteenth and early nineteenth century Miniatures in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1992, no.823) and a watercolour copy by him is listed (Rev. A. Grimaldi, A Catalogue of Paintings, Drawings & Engravings by and after William Grimaldi, 1873, p 49).
1791
Painting by J-L. Mosnier, three-quarter length seated in admiral’s full-dress uniform with the ribbon of the Bath. National Maritime Museum (BHC 2970). Exhibited RA 1793 (99). Engraved J. Cochran 1833. Copy in the Guildhall Art Gallery, London (64; presented c.1793), and a miniature copy by MB 1824 sold Christie’s South Kensington, 24 May 1994, lot 22.
c.1810
A modello by John Bacon jr., whole length in contemporary dress. Victoria and Albert Museum (A.20.1931; illus. Sculpture Journal, II, 1998, p 54). Convincingly identified by Joan Coutu (loc. cit.) as a submission for the St Paul’s monument, a commission given to Rossi, see below. A sketch by John Flaxman for a Rodney monument was sold Sotheby’s, 26 March 1975, lot 142, perhaps relating to the same commission.
1811
Monument by J. C. F. Rossi, whole-length figure in naval uniform standing between the figures of Fame and History. St Paul’s Cathedral (illus. M. Whinney, Sculpture in Britain 1530-1830, 1964, pl.161b as 1810-15).
Doubtful Portraits
Paintings by George Beare 1744 (Sotheby’s, NY, 14 October 1998, lot 127; previously Christie’s, 10 June 1912, lot 96); by Allan Ramsay (A. Smart, ed. J. Ingamells, Allan Ramsay, a complete catalogue of his Paintings, 1999, no.447); unattributed (Holburne Museum, Bath; illus. J. D. Spinney, Rodney, 1969, f.p.128); unattributed, with William Green, Liverpool, in 1862 (Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketch Books, 7/28).
Miniatures sold Christie’s SK, 1 December 1988, lot 42; formerly attributed to Engleheart, Clarke Collection (illus. G. C. Williamson & H. L. D. Engleheart, George Engleheart, 1902, p.26b; Portrait Miniatures from the Clarke Collection, Scottish NPG 2001, no.34, as by Abraham Daniel); by Zincke exhibited Royal House of Guelph, New Gallery, London, 1891 (1022) lent J. Whitehead.
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.