Unknown man, formerly known as Ralph Allen

This portraitback to top

Identification and former attribution to Johann Van Diest (c.1680-c.1760) derive from Alfred Jones, a dealer and collector of Bath who said that the window and window seat in the painting had been recognised as those of the drawing room in Allen's Bath house. Jones also believed that the portrait was painted about 1742 when the sitter became mayor. He ascribed the work to Van Diest, son of the Dutch landscape painter Adriaen Van Diest, on the grounds that portraits of Allen and other corporation members were presented by Field Marshal George Wade to the city in 1728, the year Van Diest was made honorary freeman by the council for having painted these portraits. [1] 1742, however, is late for the costume; about 1730 would be more appropriate, the looped wig-end and cravat tucked through the buttonhole being in high fashion around 1728. The features of NPG 1580 compare fairly well with authentic portraits but are not entirely conclusive. J. Nankivell equates the portrait with 'a Miniature Picture of Mr. Allen' offered to Bishop Hurd in 1798 by the Rev. M. S. Smith, husband of Allen's favourite niece, Gertrude Tucker. [2] The Bishop apparently declined the offer since he already had portraits by Hudson and Pond. The Hurd MS gives neither artist's name nor dimensions of the portrait. NPG 1580 is clearly not by Van Diest whose work survives in Bath.

Footnotesback to top

1) Letters dated 18, 26, 29 July and 6 August 1910, NPG archives; B. Boyce, The Benevolent Man. A Life of Ralph Allen of Bath, Cambridge, Mass., 1967, pp 37-8.
2) J. Nankivell, The Collection of Portraits in Oils of Bishop Richard Hurd at Hartlebury Castle, 1953, p 18, note 1.

Physical descriptionback to top

Dark brown eyes, long nose, white wig with tied end resting on his right shoulder; white neck-tie tucked into waistcoat buttonhole, long dark green coat with matching knee-length waistcoat and breeches, black stockings, buckled shoes; panelled walls, a carpet on the floor and a window, right, with light brown curtain drawn back.

Conservationback to top

Varnish yellowed; discoloured repaints in the background; the edges of the face, bottom of the wig and black of the coat, now worn.

Provenanceback to top

Given 1910, by Alfred Jones; previous history unknown.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, 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 Ralph Allen