Early Georgian Portraits Catalogue

Owen MacSwinny (or Swinny) (1676-1754), Playwright and art dealer

A portrait engraved by J. Faber junior in 1752 was one of the first painted by Vanloo [1] after his arrival in London in December 1737. [2] An oval version was sketched by Scharf, October 1859, when it was offered to the Gallery by J. Mara of the Caledonian Road. [3] McSwiny, according to Vertue, also sat to Laroon but no portrait has been located. [4]

1) F. Haskell, Patrons and Painters, 1963, pl.52a.
2) G. Vertue, Vertue Note Books (edited by The Earl of Ilchester), Walpole Society, 1930-55, III, p 82; R. Raines, Marcellus Laroon, 1966.
3) Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketchbooks, III, p 39.
4) G. Vertue, Vertue Note Books (edited by The Earl of Ilchester), Walpole Society, 1930-55, III, p 100.


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.