Regency Portraits Catalogue
Sir James Edward Smith (1759-1828), Botanist
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
1762
Pencil drawing by Thomas Worlidge in Major Cubitt's collection in 1923, head and shoulders as a boy aged 3 years 8 months in a large hat, etched by Mrs Dawson Turner (annotated impression in Linnean Society library).
c.1788
A miniature of 'Dr Smith' by - Warner exhibited RA 1788 (279) may have represented him, the Linnean Society having held its first meeting on 8 April 1788.
c.1793
Oil by John Rising in Linnean Society, exhibited RA 1793 (264) as 'Portrait of an eminent Botanist (Dr Smyth)', three-quarter-length seated to left holding an album open at a page illus. Smithia sensitive and a fern; this is without doubt the portrait listed by Dr Williamson as being by Russell and hanging in a bad light on the staircase (G. C. Williamson, John Russell RA, 1894, pp 100, 153).
1796
Stipple engraving by B. Pastorini, half-length holding quill and book, published 16 January 1796.
c.1799
Pastel by John Russell exhibited RA 1799 (446) now known only from Ridley's stipple engraving in Thornton's A New Illustration of the Sexual System of Linnaeus, 1799; beneath this engraving Ridley has added the apocryphal pursuit by a Swedish frigate of the British ship carrying off Linnaeus's library to England.
c.1804
Bust by George Bullock exhibited RA 1804 (855); a drawing of this by Mrs Dawson Turner in the V&A Museum was also etched by her as 'from a bust by Bullock 1810'.
c.1810
Crayon drawing by William Lane exhibited RA 1810 (548) and engraved in the chalk manner by F. C. Lewis 1816; a small line engraving by Audinet was published in Gentleman's Magazine, 98, April 1828, p 297.
1825-7
Bust by Chantrey in Linnean Society, see NPG 316a(108-9).
Undated
Silhouette in the British Museum Print Room.
Sir James's centenarian wife Pleasance was painted as a young gipsy by Opie in 1797 and photographed in Norwich on her hundredth birthday in 1872 (example in Linnean Society library).
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.
Pencil drawing by Thomas Worlidge in Major Cubitt's collection in 1923, head and shoulders as a boy aged 3 years 8 months in a large hat, etched by Mrs Dawson Turner (annotated impression in Linnean Society library).
c.1788
A miniature of 'Dr Smith' by - Warner exhibited RA 1788 (279) may have represented him, the Linnean Society having held its first meeting on 8 April 1788.
c.1793
Oil by John Rising in Linnean Society, exhibited RA 1793 (264) as 'Portrait of an eminent Botanist (Dr Smyth)', three-quarter-length seated to left holding an album open at a page illus. Smithia sensitive and a fern; this is without doubt the portrait listed by Dr Williamson as being by Russell and hanging in a bad light on the staircase (G. C. Williamson, John Russell RA, 1894, pp 100, 153).
1796
Stipple engraving by B. Pastorini, half-length holding quill and book, published 16 January 1796.
c.1799
Pastel by John Russell exhibited RA 1799 (446) now known only from Ridley's stipple engraving in Thornton's A New Illustration of the Sexual System of Linnaeus, 1799; beneath this engraving Ridley has added the apocryphal pursuit by a Swedish frigate of the British ship carrying off Linnaeus's library to England.
c.1804
Bust by George Bullock exhibited RA 1804 (855); a drawing of this by Mrs Dawson Turner in the V&A Museum was also etched by her as 'from a bust by Bullock 1810'.
c.1810
Crayon drawing by William Lane exhibited RA 1810 (548) and engraved in the chalk manner by F. C. Lewis 1816; a small line engraving by Audinet was published in Gentleman's Magazine, 98, April 1828, p 297.
1825-7
Bust by Chantrey in Linnean Society, see NPG 316a(108-9).
Undated
Silhouette in the British Museum Print Room.
Sir James's centenarian wife Pleasance was painted as a young gipsy by Opie in 1797 and photographed in Norwich on her hundredth birthday in 1872 (example in Linnean Society library).
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.