Early Georgian Portraits Catalogue

An unfinished sketch described as 'exceedingly spirited' and 'the more interesting as it was composed from memory', was acquired by Mr Strutt at the Gainsborough sale of 1759. [1] The picture (15 x 20 in.), last heard of at the J. G. Strutt sale, 1856, [2] depicted the Ipswich musical club with a self-portrait of the artist, Wood, a dancing master playing the violin, Captain Clarke and one, Mills 'merely outlined, Gainsborough declaring that he "could not recollect the expression of his phiz." Gibbs, on the opposite side ... is sound asleep'. [3] No other portraits appear to be recorded.
It has been suggested by Mr Lingwood [4] that a portrait of Gibbs appears in the lower panel of a painted clock in Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich. This is improbable, as is also the attribution to Gainsborough.

1) G. W. Fulcher, Life of Gainsborough, 1856, pp 55-56, quoting Mr Strutt.
2) E. K. Waterhouse, Gainsborough, 1958 (748); W. T. Whitley, Gainsborough, 1915, p 22.
3) G. W. Fulcher, Life of Gainsborough, 1856, p 56.
4) East Anglian Daily Times, 30 June 1928.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, 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.