Sir Charles Barry

1 portrait

© National Portrait Gallery, London

1 Like voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Buy a print Buy a greetings card Make a donation

Sir Charles Barry

by John Prescott Knight
oil on canvas, circa 1851
57 in. x 44 in. (1448 mm x 1118 mm)
Given by the sitter's son, Bishop A. Barry, 1900
Primary Collection
NPG 1272

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

  • John Prescott Knight (1803-1881), Portrait painter. Artist or producer associated with 27 portraits, Sitter in 4 portraits.

This portraitback to top

The leading architect of his generation, Charles Barry worked mostly in a classical or Italianate style but his major achievement was the Gothic-style Houses of Parliament which he designed together with Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin. In this portrait Barry is shown with a pair of compasses in his hand, resting his elbow on some partly unrolled architectural plans which lie on top of a Gothic-style cupboard. The plans show the Victoria Tower of the new Houses of Parliament, which can be seen under construction in the background.

Linked publicationsback to top

Placesback to top

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1851back to top

Current affairs

A population census is taken of all the people living in Britain, recording details about every householder on the night of March 30. This census greatly extends the fields of the 1841 census, being the first to record full details of individuals' birth locations, exact age, marital status, and details of disability, thus making it a valuable tool for demographers and genealogists. The census was made open for public inspection in 1912.

Art and science

The Great Exhibition is held in London,at the Crystal Palace, especially designed by Sir Joseph Paxton. The international exhibition was designed to showcase the best in science, art and industry. it attracted millions of visitors.
Lizzie Siddal poses for John Millais's painting Ophelia.
Hermann von Helmotz invents the ophthalmoscope, making it possible for doctors to examine within a patient's eye.

International

Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte, President of the French Republic, stages a coup d'état, successfully dissolving the French National Assembly without having the constitutional right to do so. Now the sole ruler of France, he re-establishes universal suffrage, previously abolished by the Assembly and becomes 'Napoléon III, Emperor of the French'.

Comments back to top

We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.

If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.