Marguerite, Countess of Blessington

This portraitback to top

On the back of the frame were labels for the Bath exhibition, where the water-colour was attributed to 'A. E. Chalon or Wageman', and a newspaper cutting about the Countess of Blessington, with a woodcut of Gore House. NPG 1309 is identical, except that it is half-length, with the three-quarter length engraving by H. T. Ryall, after A. E. Chalon, published C. Tilt, 1836 (example in British Museum), and also published Fisher, 1844 (example in NPG); the NPG water-colour is clearly not the original, both on the evidence of size and style. The original appears to have been the water-colour by Chalon of 1834 ('in a morning costume') in Lady Blessington's Sale, Phillips, 7-26 May 1849 (lot 602), presumably that exhibited RA, 1834 (567); this, or another version, was sold at Christie's, 18 May 1903 (lot 59), bought Leggatt (sketch in NPG sale catalogue). Other water-colours of Lady Blessington by Chalon are as follows:

1 1837. In a turban, holding a fan. Christie's, 22 July 1875 (lot 23). Perhaps identical with the water-colour in Lady Blessington's Sale (lot 616), 'in an evening dress'.
2 Lady Blessington's Sale (lot 618). No description.
3 Engraved by J. J. Hinchliff (example in NPG). Seated, in fancy-dress.
4 Engraved by H. Hall, published Bogue, 1845 (example in British Museum), for Heath's 'New Gallery of British Engraving'. Standing, in a bonnet, holding a handkerchief.
5 Exhibited RA, 1823 (688).
6 Exhibited RA, 1839 (737).

Physical descriptionback to top

Brown eyes and hair. Wearing a pink dress, white bonnet with blue frills, and a gold and green bracelet. Brown couch visible at left.

Provenanceback to top

Alfred Jones of Bath, presented by him, 1902.

Exhibitionsback to top

Spring Loan Exhibition, Victoria Art Gallery, Bath, 1901 (3); Charles Dickens, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1970 (P15).


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1973, 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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