William Henry Smith ('The Head of the Race of Smith')
27 of 111 portraits by Frederick Arnold
© National Portrait Gallery, London
William Henry Smith ('The Head of the Race of Smith')
published by Frederick Arnold, after Unknown artist
lithograph, published in the Hornet 5 July 1871
14 7/8 in. x 11 in. (379 mm x 279 mm) paper size
Purchased, 2017
Reference Collection
NPG D48243
Sitterback to top
- William Henry Smith (1825-1891), Newsagent and politician, First Lord of the Treasury and Leader of the House of Commons. Sitter in 27 portraits.
Artistsback to top
- Frederick Arnold (active 1870s), Magazine publisher. Artist or producer associated with 111 portraits.
- Unknown artist, Artist. Artist or producer associated with 6578 portraits.
Events of 1871back to top
Current affairs
Gladstone's first ministry continues with its programme of reform, with an overhaul of the civil service which is opened to public examination. The University Test Acts allow non-members of the Church of England to hold posts at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The Trade Union Act granted full legal status to trade union organisations, although the Criminal Law Amendment Act banned picketing.The first FA Cup competition is held.
Art and science
The Penny Farthing, the first efficient bicycle, is invented by British engineer, James Starley.The artist James Whistler paints a portrait of his mother, calling the nearly monochromatic portrait Arrangement in Grey and Black. Although now one of Whistler's most recognisable paintings, it was nearly rejected by the Royal Academy at first.
International
France's shock defeat against Prussia radically alters Europe's status quo, leading to the deposition of Napoleon III and the creation of France's Third Republic, as well as Germany's unification and rise in military power and imperialist ambitions, as the Prussian King William I is pronounced Emperor of Germany. Further, Germany's annexing of the French regions Alsace and Lorraine provoked bitter land disputes which contributed to the outbreak of the First World War.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.
Related pages
- Searching for Shakespeare
- Brilliant Women
- Popular Prints of Victoria and Albert
- Nelson: before and after Trafalgar
- Making History: Printed Portraiture in Tudor and Stuart Britain
- Gunpowder, Treason and Plot
- Chartist Portraits
- Silhouettes display, 2004-05
- William Hazlitt's Spirit of the Age
- Return to Life: A New Look at the Portrait Bust
- Restoration Lives: Samuel Pepys and His Circle
- Theodore de Mayerne
- Mary, Queen of Scots: Fact and Fiction
- Escape to Eden
- Mary, Queen of Scots
- Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Art Conservation Project
- His picture in little: Shakespeare, Hamlet and Tacita Dean
- Votes for women
- Rebel women
- 'This sceptred isle': Shakespeare and the Plantagenets
- 2019 Anniversaries
- Peterloo 1819: democracy, protest and justice
- Everyday icons: collecting popular portraits
- Tudor and Elizabethan matching pairs
- Love Stories
- Icons and Identities: Shakespeare to Winehouse
- Love stories: art, passion and tragedy