Robert Monsey Rolfe, Baron Cranworth

This portraitback to top

Cranworth is depicted in his robes as lord chancellor. A study for this painting, dated 1860, is at Lincoln's Inn. In Richmond's 'Account Book' a first payment for this portrait is recorded in 1860, and a second in 1862, so that the portrait may possibly not have been finished till that year. The fact that it was only exhibited at the RA in 1862 supports this view. Richmond executed an earlier drawing of Cranworth in 1847.

Physical descriptionback to top

Healthy complexion, grey eyes, grey wig. Dressed in a white lace cravat, black and gold-braided robes, black breeches, grey stockings. Green-covered table at left with a white document and a gold-braided seal-bag with red tassels and a multi-coloured royal coat of arms. Seated on a red velvet-covered armchair. Most of background covered by a red curtain with a small canopy at the top; part of the royal coat of arms is visible on the right. Strip of background on the left dark brown.


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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