Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, 1st Bt

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in black chalk, apparently in the artist's hand (along the bottom): T. Fowell Buxton

This portraitback to top

This is a study for Haydon's 'Anti-Slavery Society Convention, 1840' (NPG 599). Haydon records a sitting from Buxton in his diary for 15 August 1840: 'Buxton sat and I never saw such childish vanity & weakness ... Buxton's head is a singular expression of tenacity of purpose, and irresolution' (Pope, IV, 661).
The drawing of Buxton formed part of a collection of nineteen drawings by Haydon for his big group picture, the remaining eighteen being sold at Sotheby's, 11 March 1952 (lot 154). The area of paper not covered by the mount has noticeably darkened.

Referenceback to top

Pope (ed.) 1963
The Diary of Benjamin Robert Haydon, edited W. B. Pope (Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass, 1963), IV, 661-2.

Provenanceback to top

E. Kersley, purchased from him, 1950.


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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