First Previous 3 OF 7 NextLast

Sir John Soane

3 of 7 portraits of Sir John Soane

© National Portrait Gallery, London

 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 Close

Sir John Soane

by John Jackson
oil on canvas, 1828
29 1/2 in. x 24 1/2 in. (749 mm x 622 mm)
Transferred from Tate Gallery, 1957
Primary Collection
NPG 701

On display at Sir John Soane's Museum, London

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

  • John Jackson (1778-1831), Portrait painter. Artist or producer associated with 232 portraits, Sitter in 6 portraits.

This portraitback to top

By 1828, the year in which this portrait was painted, Sir John Soane, the hard-working and brilliant architect of the Bank of England, had grown melancholy as well as rich. His portrait was commissioned by the Governors of the British Institution and was described as 'The Portrait of John Soane, R.A., Painted by order of the Directors of the British Institution, as one of its most liberal Benefactors.' It shows Soane as an old man, slightly quizzical, watery-eyed and thin-lipped; but he was justifiably proud of his achievements and there is a copy of his Lectures on Architecture delivered at the Royal Academy open on the table in front of him.

Linked publicationsback to top

  • Smartify image discovery app
  • Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery: An Illustrated Guide, 2000, p. 115
  • Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery, 1997, p. 115 Read entry

    By 1828 Sir John Soane, the hard-working and brilliant architect of the Bank of England, had grown melancholy as well as rich. His portrait was commissioned by the Governors of the British Institution and was described as 'The Portrait of John Soane, R.A., Painted by order of the Directors of the British Institution, as one of its most liberal Benefactors.' It shows Soane as an old man, slightly quizzical, watery-eyed and thin-lipped; but he was justifiably proud of his achievements and there is a copy of his Lectures on Architecture delivered at the Royal Academy open on the table in front of him.

  • Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 573
  • Walker, Richard, Regency Portraits, 1985, p. 465

Events of 1828back to top

Current affairs

Duke of Wellington becomes Prime Minister.
Madhouse Act attempts to regulate asylums and ensure new arrivals are genuinely insane.
Repeal of the Test Acts removes political restrictions from dissenters, allowing them to hold public office.

Art and science

London Zoological Gardens open in Regent's Park. They provide both entertainment and a supply of exotic specimens for naturalists and anatomists such as Richard Owen who becomes a European authority on the subject.

International

Daniel O'Connell is elected Member of Parliament for County Clare but as a Catholic is not permitted to take his seat.

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.