Sir George Cayley, 6th Bt

Inscriptionback to top

Signed and dated (bottom left): H. P. Briggs RA/pinx^t 1840
Inscribed on a label, formerly on the stretcher: Portrait of Sir George Cayley Bart/H. P. Briggs/33 Bruton Street Berkeley Square

This portraitback to top

In a letter of April 1841 (NPG archives), formerly on the back of the picture, Briggs wrote to Cayley about the RA exhibition: 'I forgot to ask you how you will be described in the catalogue of the Exhibition. The picture looks very well in the frame. It was sent yesterday'. A copy of the portrait is still with the Cayley family. The plan which Cayley is shown holding presumably relates to one of his inventions.

Physical descriptionback to top

Dark eyes, grey hair. Dressed in a white shirt, dark stock, red waistcoat, black suit. Seated in a red-covered armchair. Background colour dark brown.

Provenanceback to top

The sitter; by descent to Sir Kenelm Cayley, Bart, and presented by him, 1956.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA, 1841 (394).


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 George Cayley, 6th Bt