George Allan

Inscriptionback to top

Early-19th-century label attached to the frame: Portrait of Geo. Allan Esq/the celebrated Antiquary/Grange Hall.

This portraitback to top

Pendant to the pastel of the first Mrs Allan, see NPG 4308, whom he married in 1766; the proposed date is based on the sitters’ estimated ages. The modesty of the portraits agrees with their character, their residence, The Grange, being ‘distinguished as the seat of benevolence and the virtues’, but ‘ostentatious ornaments [were] not displayed there.’ [1] Portraits of Allan and his first wife were recorded at Blackwell Hall (another residence of the Allan family) in 1850, but no portraits were identified at the Blackwell Grange sale, 17-19 March 1954. [2]

Footnotesback to top

1) J. Nichols, Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century, VI, p 127n.
2) Information supplied by C. K. C. Andrew, County Archivist, Northallerton, in a letter to C. K. Adams of 22 April 1963 (NPG archive); he had consulted W. H. Longstaffe, Memorials of the Families of Allan, Hylton, and Clervaux, 1850.

Physical descriptionback to top

Blue eyes, black hair, wearing a royal blue suit with silver buttons.

Provenanceback to top

Motcomb Galleries, 3 April 1963, lot 245 (with the pendant of his wife), bought Mr & Mrs C. J. Duveen, by whom presented 1963.


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.

View all known portraits for George Allan