Georgiana Russell (née Gordon), Duchess of Bedford

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in Hayter's hand: Duchess of Bedford, and on the back: Duchess of Bedford no. 17.

This portraitback to top

Probably an early study for a miniature, present location unknown. A drawing, signed and dated Aug 21 1819, at Sotheby's 25 May 1966 (16), was among six Hayter drawings of the Duchess, one a whole-length holding a violin. Henry Bone made an enamel after Hayter's original, probably that dated 1829 at Woburn; two Bone drawings for this enamel are in the NPG library (Henry Bone’s annotated pencil drawings for miniatures and enamels, I) - 62 an undated pen drawing on squared tracing paper, and 96 a small pencil drawing on squared paper dated May 1820; the miniature was engraved by J. H. Robinson though it differs slightly in hair-style.

These drawings [NPG 883(1-21)] are all apparently studies for miniatures, which explains their small scale, the largest (Codrington) being 17.5 x 13 (6 7/8 x 5 1/8) and most much smaller. They are drawn in pencil, some strengthened with pen and ink and colour wash, two or three quite elaborately. They were probably bought at the Hayter sale, Christie's 20 April 1871, where many of his drawings were sold in large uncatalogued lots.
They are all contained in a drawer fitting into a box bound, on acquisition in 1891, to resemble a red leather book titled on the spine: ORIGINAL DRAWINGS by Sir George Hayter/NPG.

Provenanceback to top

A. D. Hogarth & Sons and bought from them 1891.


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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