Sir Francis Burdett, 5th Bt

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in ink on back of frame: Sir Francis Burdett Bart./June 1843/Sir Francis was born on Jan' 1770/Died Jan^y 18; formerly inscribed in pencil on stretcher: No.5 M.A. Shee; written in ink: Mrs Trevanion/10 Chester Square/London.
The canvas is stamped: Brown 163 High Holborn London TB 8 41.

This portraitback to top

Shee painted two portraits of Burdett both of which belonged to two of his daughters and were possibly commissioned by them. The earliest, a three-quarter-length standing holding a roll of paper, his left hand on a table with books and papers, was exhibited RA 1838 and again in the Exhibition of the Royal House of Guelph, New Gallery, 1891, lent by the Baroness Burdett-Coutts; this was offered to the NPG in 1946 by a member of the family and is now in the Headmaster's house, Westminster School. The second portrait, NPG 432, is slightly smaller and belonged to Burdett's second daughter, Susan; her younger sister, Lady Burdett-Coutts, considered it to be a 'very much finer portrait than the only one I could give when the late President Lord Stanhope asked me for one' – i.e. NPG 34 by Phillips (letter from Lady Burdett-Coutts in NPG archive).

Physical descriptionback to top

Half-length seated to left aged 73, left hand on walking-stick, dark blue coat, cream waistcoat, white shirt and neckcloth tied with bow; blue eyes, sparse white hair, rosy complexion; plain drab background.

Provenanceback to top

The sitter's second daughter, Mrs Susan Trevanion, who gave it 1876.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA 1844.


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 Francis Burdett, 5th Bt

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