John Bannister

Inscriptionback to top

Signed and dated lower left: J. Russell R.A. 1799.

This portraitback to top

Russell's pastel drawing dated 1799 represents Bannister as 'Colonel Feignwell' in Mrs Centlivre's A Bold Stroke for a Wife, the basis for identification being James Heath's engraving of 1802 re-issued in 1819 with the title 'Mr John Bannister as Col. Feignwell'. A Bold Stroke for a Wife, originally produced in 1718, appeared regularly every season at either Drury Lane or the Haymarket between 1780 and 1800. Adolphus's Memoir lists Bannister's first appearance as 'Colonel Feignwell' in 1811 but he admits the list to be inaccurate and there seems no special reason to doubt the lettering on Heath's print.

Physical descriptionback to top

Head and shoulders to left, arms folded, grey hair, brown eyes, dark complexion, smiling expression; brown coat with black velvet collar, brass buttons, white shirt and cravat; cloudy blue sky in background.

Provenanceback to top

As for Elizabeth Bannister, see NPG 1770.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA 1800 (691) together with his wife Elizabeth (658).

Reproductionsback to top

Oval stipple by Heath published 10 April 1802; stipple by Holl in The Lady's Magazine 1817; oblong stipple by Thomson in Oxberry's New English Drama 1819 and by Rogers in Oxberry's Dramatic Biography, IV, 1826.


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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