Charles Churchill

This portraitback to top

As the portrait shows civil dress, it was presumably painted after Churchill abandoned the Church in January 1763. He had, however, appeared before then in a 'blue coat with metal buttons' [1] and been reproved for it by Pearce, the Dean of Westminster. The same type head appears in an engraving in clerical dress (from a magazine as yet unidentified) with his friend Robert Lloyd.
Schaak (fl. 1761-70), presumably of Dutch origin, [2] resided in College Street, Westminster and is known mainly by portraits exhibited, or signed and dated between 1761-77 (see James Wolfe, NPG 48). NPG 162 is not dated but seems to be from life and thus c.1763-4.

Footnotesback to top

1) Dictionary of National Biography, IV, p 310.
2) J. F. Kerslake, Wolfe, Portraiture and Genealogy, 1959, p 39.

Physical descriptionback to top

Brown eyes, broad face, double chin, dark brown hair or wig; dark brown coat, open, over double-breasted black waistcoat, white shirt; plain brown background; painted oval.

Conservationback to top

On comparison with Burford's engraving, the hair seems somewhat rubbed; small old retouchings, chiefly in the face, have discoloured; surface cleaned and varnished, 1895.

Provenanceback to top

Bought, 1863, from Colnaghi's, one of twenty-two portraits referred to by G. Barker (see Chesterfield, NPG 158, Provenance).

Exhibitionsback to top

Second Exhibition of National Portraits, South Kensington, 1867 (651); 'John Wilkes', British Museum,1969.

Reproductionsback to top

Engraved posthumously by T. Burford, 28 February 1765; also E. Smith for Effigies Poeticae, II, 1824, p 79, when in the collection of Sir Richard Phillips. For other derivatives, see F. O'Donoghue and Sir Henry M. Hake, Catalogue of Engraved British Portraits ... in the British Museum, 1908-25.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, 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 Charles Churchill