Sir William Beechey

Inscriptionback to top

A paper formerly on the back, now in registered packets in NPG archive 614 reads: Portrait of Sir W. Beechey R.A. commenced by Sir William and completed by Mr John Wood at Sir William's request; a chalk inscription on the back of the canvas reads: The late Sir William Beechey ... Wood, 65 Fitzroy Square.

This portraitback to top

At first sight this portrait appears to be c.1805-10 with the sitter in his fifties dressed in the fashion of the day. A letter in the NPG archive however, from George Wood, states 'the Portrait … was not commenced by my brother but by Sir William himself and at his request finished by my brother, Sir William giving several sittings for that purpose' (19 October 1870); this is confirmed by the paper formerly fixed to the back. John Wood, who was exhibiting RA and elsewhere 1823-62 and died 1870, was a young artist in the 1830s and given help by the aged Beechey who at that time was approaching 80, bald (see marble bust by Baily, NPG 5169) and undoubtedly wore a wig; both the self-portrait of 1830 and Newton's miniature of 1831 show him in a close-fitting dark wig. NPG 614 therefore was probably begun about 1805, left unfinished and lying about the studio until taken up by John Wood and finished at Beechey's request, probably in the mid-1830s. It was engraved by Payne and published 1840 but whether it was the portrait exhibited RA 1836, as Roberts suggests, is uncertain; it seems unlikely that Beechey would allow a portrait, largely the work of another artist, to appear over his name.

Physical descriptionback to top

Head and shoulders to left in a black coat and dark glossy brown wig, dark grey eyes, grey and white eyebrows and whiskers; stone and crimson curtain background.

Provenanceback to top

Wood family possession until offered to the NPG by John Wood's widow and his brother George Wood in 1870; declined and re-appeared at Christie's John Wood sale 19 February 1872 (406); bought from T. H. Parker 1880.

Exhibitionsback to top

Possibly RA 1836 (382).

Reproductionsback to top

Mezzotint by G. T. Payne published 1 June 1840.


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 William Beechey