John Burnet

Inscriptionback to top

Signed and dated (bottom right): Wm Simson. 1841

This portraitback to top

Burnet, as a prominent engraver, must have known Graves, one of the leading publishers of engravings in a professional capacity. Graves also bequeathed a portrait of John Boydell (NPG 934), another famous engraver.

Physical descriptionback to top

Clear, healthy complexion, dark blue eyes, brown hair with grey wisps. Dressed in a white shirt, dark stock, plum red velvet(?) waistcoat, black coat, gold watch-chain and gold chain across his shirt, brown kid(?) gloves. His left arm resting on a brown and red leather-bound book on a brown support. Background colour brown.

Provenanceback to top

Bequeathed by Henry Graves, 1892.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA, 1841 (567).


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 John Burnet