Sir John Bowring

Sir John Bowring, by Unknown artist, 1854 -NPG 2550 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue

Sir John Bowring

by Unknown artist
1854
7 1/2 in. x 9 1/4 in. (191 mm x 235 mm)
NPG 2550

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in pencil (lower left): March 26th 1854./Pen: & Ori: steamship "Hindostan" and in ink, possibly an autograph (bottom centre): Sir John Bowring

This portraitback to top

In 1854 Bowring was appointed as plenipotentiary to China, and governor, commander-in-chief and vice-admiral of Hong Kong. He was knighted shortly before his departure in February. This drawing was presumably executed on Bowring's sea journey to the Far East.

Provenanceback to top

W. C. Edwards, presented by him, 1932.


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.

View all known portraits for Sir John Bowring