Henry William Paget, 1st Marquess of Anglesey

This portraitback to top

The Beechey Account Books (W. Roberts, Sir William Beecehey R.A., pp 220-59) contain references to four portraits of Anglesey between 1817 and 1822 but as he was received into the Order of the Garter in January 1818 the first only is relevant; but an engraving of this was published in March 1817 and bears no resemblance to NPG 1581 which is painted in a soft woolly style totally at variance with Beechey's normal work. In addition to the Bath, among the Crosses worn at the neck is the Order of Hanover awarded to Anglesey in 1816, so presumably the NPG portrait was painted between this date and the Garter date of January 1818. For the present therefore the name of the artist should be considered uncertain, though Beechey's son could be a possibility.

Physical descriptionback to top

Quarter-length in Hussar's uniform, high grey lamb's fur collar over black stock and white shirt of which points are just visible; clean-shaven, fresh-faced, brown hair and whiskers, no moustache, hazel eyes. Stars on breast: GCB and Ribbon, William of the Netherlands, Guelphic Order of Hanover, St George of Russia. Crosses from neck: Maria Theresa of Austria, St George of Russia, William of the Netherlands. Medals: Waterloo Medal (lying on Ribbon of Bath) and Army Gold Medal.

Provenanceback to top

Mr E. H. Flood of Barbados; Henry Graves & Co and bought from them in 1910, as by Sir William Beechey.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, 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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