Philip Affleck

Inscriptionback to top

Original canvas inscribed: Admiral Philip Affleck/vice-Admiral of the white/(Brother of Sir Edmund)/Admiral Philip died unmarried/Decr 22nd 1799.

This portraitback to top

Affleck’s return from the West Indies in 1793 indicates the probable date of NPG 1579. The head, which closely resembles that drawn by Russell in 1787, seems to have been quoted by Young in his mezzotint based on a much earlier portrait by Edward Penny.
The attribution to Abbott is traditional and convincing. [1] The Affleck sale of 1906 contained a second portrait of the Admiral by Abbott, lot 160, probably that showing his right hand in his waistcoat, of which there are examples in the National Maritime Museum (BHC 2506) and with the Wernher Foundation (on loan to the Ranger’s House).

Footnotesback to top

1) Cf. A. C. Sewter, Connoisseur, CXXXV, 1955, pp 179, 183. NPG 1579 was attributed to Penny in NPG, Complete Illus. Cat., 1981, p 5.

Physical descriptionback to top

Blue eyes, white wig, wearing an admiral’s full-dress uniform of 1787-95: white neckcloth and cream waistcoat with gold buttons, blue coat with gold facings and buttons.

Provenanceback to top

By descent to Philip Affleck of Dalham Hall, Suffolk; his sale, Robinson & Fisher, 24 May 1906, lot 158 (as by F. L. Abbott), bought Leggatt, from whom bought by H. J. Pfungst and presented 1910.

Exhibitionsback to top

War at Sea, Yorktown, Va., 1978.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, National Portrait Gallery, 2004, 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.

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