Sir George Howland Beaumont, 7th Bt

This portraitback to top

The drawing is a copy of Hoppner's portrait in the National Gallery (6333), the ascription to Wright resting on the stipple engraving of 1812 above. It had a 'distressed' appearance and could well have suffered during the engraving process, but McKay & Roberts (W. McKay & W. Roberts, John Hoppner R.A., p 17) record another Wright drawing, in India ink and colours, at Christie's (Bicknell sale) 1 May 1863 (284). Hoppner's original is probably the painting recorded in Farington's Diary 27 March 1803, 'Sir George Beaumont has sat twice to Hoppner', exhibited RA 1809 (54), given by Beaumont to Lord Mulgrave in 1810 and acquired by the National Gallery in 1962 (Margaret Greaves, Regency Patron: Sir George Beaumont, 1966, frontispiece). Versions were in the Hoppner sale 1823 (27) and Sir David Wilkie sale 30 April 1842 (674).

Physical descriptionback to top

Half-length in a dark coat fastened with one button, white shirt and loosely knotted tie; grey eyes, his own short powdered hair.

Provenanceback to top

Mrs M. F. Warner and her sale Sotheby's 2 June 1943 (10) bought Arthur Spencer from whom bought by the NPG 24 June 1943.

Exhibitionsback to top

Loan to Dove Cottage since 1979.

Reproductionsback to top

Stipple vignette by J. S. Agar 'From an original Picture by J. HOPPNER Esq. R.A. in the Possession of the Right Honble Lord Mulgrave. Drawn by J. Wright. Engraved by J. S. Agar. Published Jan 16. 1812 ...' and used as a plate in Cadell's Contemporary Portraits, 1822, I, p 14. Say's mezzotint of the original Hoppner was published 26 December 1808.


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.

View all known portraits for Sir George Howland Beaumont, 7th Bt