Regency Portraits Catalogue
Sir John Soane (1753-1837), Architect
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
1774
Drawing by Nathaniel Dance in the Soane Museum, half-length aged 21 reproduced in Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927.
1779
Oil by Christopher Hünneman in the Soane Museum, half-length holding calipers painted in Rome 1779, reproduced Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, frontispiece.
1795-9
Oil by Hoppner begun in 1795 but discontinued because of a dispute over Hoppner's persistent breaking of appointments; the unfinished canvas could not be found in the studio when the breach was healed in 1799 (Diary of Joseph Farington, 14-16 and 27 August 1799).
1795
Drawing by George Dance in the Soane Museum, half-length in profile to left signed and dated 5 May 1795, not engraved among Dance's Collection of Portraits but reproduced in Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, p 48.
1803
Oil by Owen in the Soane Museum, painted 1803, exhibited RA 1805 (5) and SBA 1832/3 (218). It was mentioned disparagingly by Farington who detested Soane: 'You have painted my portrait too well' signifying that those in the RA who did not like Soane would be prejudiced against Owen for having done so - 'such is the littleness of his mind' (Diary of Joseph Farington, 12 February 1803). Owen's picture of Soane's two sons (RA 1804) is also in the Soane Museum.
1810
Drawing by Cooley (NPG 4913(3) [NPG 4913b]).
c.1813
Portrait by Samuel Drummond known from Thomas Blood's stipple engraving in The European Magazine, 1 February 1813.
1828
Oil by Lawrence in the Soane Museum, nearly whole-length seated in black suit holding spectacles, begun in January 1828, exhibited RA 1829 (338) and British Institution 1830 (85), mezzotint by Charles Turner 1830.
Letters relating to Lawrence's portrait and to Turner's mezzotint are in Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, pp 432-40 where it is reproduced as frontispiece and on p 432. A copy by John Wood is in the RIBA.
1829
Oils by Jackson, see NPG 701 and drawing in Bank of England.
1830
Marble bust by Chantrey in the Soane Museum, see NPG 316a(111).
1831
Soane appears in George Jones's 'London Bridge' which he commissioned and still hangs in the Soane Museum; related letters are in Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, pp 475-6.
1834
Gold medal by William Wyon was commissioned by the Institute of British Architects and presented to Soane by Sir Jeffrey Wyatville 24 March 1835; the profile was based on Chantrey's marble bust; on the reverse is the façade of the Bank of England (Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, pp 516-20 and Laurence Brown, British Historical Medals, 1980, 1662).
1835
Drawing by Brockedon (NPG 2515(76)).
1836
Drawing by Maclise in the V&A Museum (F88). The original of the caricature by Maclise in Fraser's Magazine, XIV, August 1836, p 202, was probably the 'vulgar coarse representation' objected to by Mrs Pope and destroyed apparently at the instigation of Maclise himself (Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, p 440).
1837
Medal by William Bain exhibited RA 1837 (616), profile from Chantrey's bust.
Undated
Oil attributed to Phillips in the Bank of England, head and shoulders to left aged about 60, possibly of Soane but not listed in Phillips's Sitter Book and otherwise unauthenticated.
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.
Drawing by Nathaniel Dance in the Soane Museum, half-length aged 21 reproduced in Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927.
1779
Oil by Christopher Hünneman in the Soane Museum, half-length holding calipers painted in Rome 1779, reproduced Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, frontispiece.
1795-9
Oil by Hoppner begun in 1795 but discontinued because of a dispute over Hoppner's persistent breaking of appointments; the unfinished canvas could not be found in the studio when the breach was healed in 1799 (Diary of Joseph Farington, 14-16 and 27 August 1799).
1795
Drawing by George Dance in the Soane Museum, half-length in profile to left signed and dated 5 May 1795, not engraved among Dance's Collection of Portraits but reproduced in Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, p 48.
1803
Oil by Owen in the Soane Museum, painted 1803, exhibited RA 1805 (5) and SBA 1832/3 (218). It was mentioned disparagingly by Farington who detested Soane: 'You have painted my portrait too well' signifying that those in the RA who did not like Soane would be prejudiced against Owen for having done so - 'such is the littleness of his mind' (Diary of Joseph Farington, 12 February 1803). Owen's picture of Soane's two sons (RA 1804) is also in the Soane Museum.
1810
Drawing by Cooley (NPG 4913(3) [NPG 4913b]).
c.1813
Portrait by Samuel Drummond known from Thomas Blood's stipple engraving in The European Magazine, 1 February 1813.
1828
Oil by Lawrence in the Soane Museum, nearly whole-length seated in black suit holding spectacles, begun in January 1828, exhibited RA 1829 (338) and British Institution 1830 (85), mezzotint by Charles Turner 1830.
Letters relating to Lawrence's portrait and to Turner's mezzotint are in Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, pp 432-40 where it is reproduced as frontispiece and on p 432. A copy by John Wood is in the RIBA.
1829
Oils by Jackson, see NPG 701 and drawing in Bank of England.
1830
Marble bust by Chantrey in the Soane Museum, see NPG 316a(111).
1831
Soane appears in George Jones's 'London Bridge' which he commissioned and still hangs in the Soane Museum; related letters are in Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, pp 475-6.
1834
Gold medal by William Wyon was commissioned by the Institute of British Architects and presented to Soane by Sir Jeffrey Wyatville 24 March 1835; the profile was based on Chantrey's marble bust; on the reverse is the façade of the Bank of England (Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, pp 516-20 and Laurence Brown, British Historical Medals, 1980, 1662).
1835
Drawing by Brockedon (NPG 2515(76)).
1836
Drawing by Maclise in the V&A Museum (F88). The original of the caricature by Maclise in Fraser's Magazine, XIV, August 1836, p 202, was probably the 'vulgar coarse representation' objected to by Mrs Pope and destroyed apparently at the instigation of Maclise himself (Arthur T. Bolton, The Portrait of Sir John Soane RA, 1927, p 440).
1837
Medal by William Bain exhibited RA 1837 (616), profile from Chantrey's bust.
Undated
Oil attributed to Phillips in the Bank of England, head and shoulders to left aged about 60, possibly of Soane but not listed in Phillips's Sitter Book and otherwise unauthenticated.
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.