Francis Russell, 5th Duke of Bedford

This portraitback to top

The miniature is a straightforward head and shoulders copy of Hoppner's whole-length at Woburn Abbey. Alexander Beaufort Grimaldi's Catalogue, 1873, records 6 duplicates - one RA 1808 (749) probably at Woburn, another made for the Prince of Wales, and a third 'painted for Duke Francis who was so much pleased with it that he presented it to the Duchess of Bedford instead of the Duke of Manchester for whom he had intended it'; a signed version was at Holland House (Holland House Catalogue, 1904, p 192); a version at Woburn shows Bedford in an indigo blue coat; all were priced at 50 guineas; an enamel version ('this picture took much time and labour and was 18 times in the fire') is at Chatsworth; a pencil drawing ('an outline for his miniature 1806') is noted in the Catalogue.

Physical descriptionback to top

Head and shoulders in peer's robes, black hair, grey eyes, fresh complexion; green curtain and sky background.

Provenanceback to top

Alan Evans bequest (1974) to the National Gallery and on permanent loan to the NPG (National Gallery January 1973-June 1975, p 23).

Exhibitionsback to top

Possibly RA 1808 but his grandson's Catalogue records six duplicates.


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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