Thomas Betterton

This portraitback to top

NPG 752 appears a good studio version of the original Kneller at Knole, dateable c.1690-95. [1] Several other versions are recorded: in the Garrick Club; [2] formerly at Cobham Hall (sold Christie’s, 1 May 1925, lot 15); [3] and at Bridgewater House. [4] Another at Scone is presumed to be a copy made by Alexander Pope in 1713. [5] A copy was sold Bonham’s, 14 June 2006, lot 149, and a reduced and reversed copy is in the Victoria and Albert Museum (D.65).

Footnotesback to top

1) J. D. Stewart, Godfrey Kneller, 1983, no.95 as c.1690-95; C. J. Phillips, History of the Sackville Family, 1929, II, p 441; exhibited Second Special Exhibition of National Portraits ( ... William and Mary to MDCCC), South Kensington, 1867, no.67; engraved, reversed, R. Williams (J. Chaloner Smith, British Mezzotinto Portraits, 7; a 4th state altered to Sir William Read, W. Faithorne delin et fecit; G. S. Layard, Catalogue raisonné of engraved British portraits from altered plates, 1927, no.9).
2) G. Ashton, ed. K. A. Burnim & A. Wilton, Pictures in the Garrick Club, 1997, no.65; from the Townshend collection (Prince Frederick Duleep Singh, Portraits in Norfolk Houses, II, p 199).
3) Sir George Scharf's Sketch Books, 81:43A (in 1868).
4) Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketch Books, 21:63 (in 1875).
5) W. T. Whitley, Artists and their Friends in England 1700-1799, 1928, I, pp 42-43; exhibited Second Special Exhibition of National Portraits ( ... William and Mary to MDCCC), South Kensington, 1867, no.61 (illus. M. Mack, Pope, 1985, p 91); ‘I find my hand most successful in drawing of friends and those I most esteem; in so much that my masterpiece has been one of Dr Swift and one [of] Mr Betterton’ - Pope to Caryll, 31 August 1713 (Pope, Corr., I, 1956, p 189).

Referenceback to top

Highfill, Burnim & Langhans 1973-93
P. H. Highfill, K. A. Burnim & E. A. Langhans, A Biographical Dictionary of Stage Personnel in London, 1661-1800, 16 vols, 1973-93, II, p 96.

Piper 1963
D. Piper, Catalogue of the Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery 1625-1714, 1963, p 27.

Provenanceback to top

Henry Graves, from whom purchased 1886.

Exhibitionsback to top

Art and the Theatre, Lady Lever Art Gallery, 1949, no.113; Samuel Pepys Esqre, NPG, 1970, no.64; Bath Preservation Trust 1996–.


This extended catalogue entry is from the National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Later Stuart Portraits 1685–1714, National Portrait Gallery, 2009, 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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