Mid-Georgian Portraits Catalogue
John Ker, 3rd Duke of Roxburghe (1740-1804), Bibliophile
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
c.1745
Painting by 'Metyard', half-length painted oval as a child. Floors Castle.
1747
Painting by Thomas Hudson as a boy, whole length, a gun over his shoulder. Lord Mostyn (illus. Burlington Magazine, XC, 1948, p 206; J. Steegman, Portraits in Welsh Houses, I, p 194, no.45, pl.35d).
1752
Painting by Thomas Hudson, whole-length seated in a park, with his brother, the Hon Robert Ker. Sotheby’s NY, 28 October 1988, lot 10 (Hudson, Kenwood, 1977 fig.3).
In Italy 1760-62
1761-62
Painting by Pompeo Batoni, whole-length standing in peer’s robes. Scottish NPG at Floors Castle (A. M. Clark, ed. E. P. Bowron, Pompeo Batoni, 1985, no.239, pl.222).
1761
Painting by Thomas Patch, whole-length standing, in Patch’s studio with Tabitha Mendes behind him. Formerly at Holland House (F. J. B. Watson, 'Thomas Patch ... with a catalogue of his known works', Wal. Soc., XXVIII, 1940, no.4; S. Sitwell, Conversation Pieces, 1936, pl.89). Miss Mendes, according to Nathaniel Dance, was ‘a young Lady of about 4 feet & a half high, and in every respect, with regards to person, one of the ugliest figures I ever saw’, but it was alleged in Florence that Roxburghe was to propose to her (J. Ingamells, Dictionary of British and Irish Travellers in Italy 1701-1800, compiled from the Brinsley Ford Archive, 1997, p 654), after his disappointing romance in Hanover.
Painting by Thomas Patch, The Punch Party, or The Golden Asses, includes Roxburghe standing centre left, receiving a letter from Sir Horace Mann; on the back wall, in the centre, hangs a picture of Roxburghe (as a monkey?) proposing to Tabitha Mendes (see above). Chatsworth (F. J. B. Watson, 'Thomas Patch ... with a catalogue of his known works', Wal. Soc., XXVIII, 1940, no.5). A version in the Lewis Walpole Library, Farmington (illus. Grand Tour, Tate Gallery, 1996, no.41; see F. J. B. Watson, 'Thomas Patch ... with a catalogue of his known works', Wal. Soc., XXVIII, 1940).
Roxburghe has also been identified as the elegant whole-length seated figure with a riding crop in Patch's Musical Party of 1774 at Floors Castle (see F. J. B. Watson, 'Thomas Patch ... with a catalogue of his known works', Wal. Soc., XXVIII, 1940).
Painting by Thomas Patch, see NPG 724.
Later Years
1788
Painting by John Hoppner, exhibited RA 1788 (236). A standing three-quarter-length, in dark blue coat and buff trousers, without insignia, at Floors Castle, has been identified as the 3rd Duke of Roxburghe by Hoppner, but may show the 4th Duke.
1789
Painting by William Beechey, half length, the star of the Thistle just visible under his lapel. Engraved anon. 1816 (Clarke, Repertorium Bibliographicum, without names of engraver or artist); W. Say 1819 (Ames, Typographical Antiquities, front.). Roxburghe paid Beechey 10 gn. in 1789 (A. B. Chamberlain, George Romney, 1910, p 222). A comparable half length, wearing a brown coat with a red collar and the star of the Thistle, offered to the NPG by G. H. Parker in 1868 as Roxburghe by Beechey (Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketch Books, 13/66).
1790-95
Painting attributed to William Beechey, half length, white haired wearing a dark blue coat with gold trim and red collar, with the ribbon and star of the Thistle. Floors Castle.
c.1800?
Painting by William Hamilton, three-quarter length standing, without insignia, engraved as Roxburghe by E. C. Wagstaff 1832.
Doubtful Portrait
Unattributed painting, Scottish NPG (PG 288).
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 'Metyard', half-length painted oval as a child. Floors Castle.
1747
Painting by Thomas Hudson as a boy, whole length, a gun over his shoulder. Lord Mostyn (illus. Burlington Magazine, XC, 1948, p 206; J. Steegman, Portraits in Welsh Houses, I, p 194, no.45, pl.35d).
1752
Painting by Thomas Hudson, whole-length seated in a park, with his brother, the Hon Robert Ker. Sotheby’s NY, 28 October 1988, lot 10 (Hudson, Kenwood, 1977 fig.3).
In Italy 1760-62
1761-62
Painting by Pompeo Batoni, whole-length standing in peer’s robes. Scottish NPG at Floors Castle (A. M. Clark, ed. E. P. Bowron, Pompeo Batoni, 1985, no.239, pl.222).
1761
Painting by Thomas Patch, whole-length standing, in Patch’s studio with Tabitha Mendes behind him. Formerly at Holland House (F. J. B. Watson, 'Thomas Patch ... with a catalogue of his known works', Wal. Soc., XXVIII, 1940, no.4; S. Sitwell, Conversation Pieces, 1936, pl.89). Miss Mendes, according to Nathaniel Dance, was ‘a young Lady of about 4 feet & a half high, and in every respect, with regards to person, one of the ugliest figures I ever saw’, but it was alleged in Florence that Roxburghe was to propose to her (J. Ingamells, Dictionary of British and Irish Travellers in Italy 1701-1800, compiled from the Brinsley Ford Archive, 1997, p 654), after his disappointing romance in Hanover.
Painting by Thomas Patch, The Punch Party, or The Golden Asses, includes Roxburghe standing centre left, receiving a letter from Sir Horace Mann; on the back wall, in the centre, hangs a picture of Roxburghe (as a monkey?) proposing to Tabitha Mendes (see above). Chatsworth (F. J. B. Watson, 'Thomas Patch ... with a catalogue of his known works', Wal. Soc., XXVIII, 1940, no.5). A version in the Lewis Walpole Library, Farmington (illus. Grand Tour, Tate Gallery, 1996, no.41; see F. J. B. Watson, 'Thomas Patch ... with a catalogue of his known works', Wal. Soc., XXVIII, 1940).
Roxburghe has also been identified as the elegant whole-length seated figure with a riding crop in Patch's Musical Party of 1774 at Floors Castle (see F. J. B. Watson, 'Thomas Patch ... with a catalogue of his known works', Wal. Soc., XXVIII, 1940).
Painting by Thomas Patch, see NPG 724.
Later Years
1788
Painting by John Hoppner, exhibited RA 1788 (236). A standing three-quarter-length, in dark blue coat and buff trousers, without insignia, at Floors Castle, has been identified as the 3rd Duke of Roxburghe by Hoppner, but may show the 4th Duke.
1789
Painting by William Beechey, half length, the star of the Thistle just visible under his lapel. Engraved anon. 1816 (Clarke, Repertorium Bibliographicum, without names of engraver or artist); W. Say 1819 (Ames, Typographical Antiquities, front.). Roxburghe paid Beechey 10 gn. in 1789 (A. B. Chamberlain, George Romney, 1910, p 222). A comparable half length, wearing a brown coat with a red collar and the star of the Thistle, offered to the NPG by G. H. Parker in 1868 as Roxburghe by Beechey (Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketch Books, 13/66).
1790-95
Painting attributed to William Beechey, half length, white haired wearing a dark blue coat with gold trim and red collar, with the ribbon and star of the Thistle. Floors Castle.
c.1800?
Painting by William Hamilton, three-quarter length standing, without insignia, engraved as Roxburghe by E. C. Wagstaff 1832.
Doubtful Portrait
Unattributed painting, Scottish NPG (PG 288).
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.