(William) Henry Lytton Earle Bulwer, Baron Dalling and Bulwer

Inscriptionback to top

Signed and dated (lower right): Fagnani/1865.

This portraitback to top

The picture was first offered to the NPG in 1872 by the artist, and again in 1877 by his daughter. In a letter of 26 January 1891 (NPG archives), Lord Lytton wrote:

'If the Committee wishes to have one, it could nowhere obtain a more striking and characteristic likeness of Lord Dalling in his later years. The portrait l am forwarding to you is not only a good one; it is the best I have ever seen, and much better than the two portraits of him by the same hand which I possess myself [one of these is in the collection of David Cobbold, Knebworth].
Mr Fagnani was a young Spanish painter in whom my Uncle (then Sir Henry Bulwer) was much interested when Minister at Madrid. He followed my Uncle to America, where he married an American lady of some fortune; and many years later M and Madame Fagnani settled at Paris where their intimacy with my Uncle was renewed. Many likenesses of my Uncle, both as a young man and as an old one, were taken (in oils, crayon, and water colour) by Mr Fagnani during the course of their long intimacy which must have lasted over forty years. But this portrait was painted not long before my Uncles death when the Artist's powers were at their best; and when, for the reasons I have mentioned, he was better qualified, perhaps, than any other painter however eminent, to produce a characteristic likeness of Lord Dalling.'

Referenceback to top

Fagnani 1930
Emma Fagnani, The Art Life of a XIXth Century Portrait Painter Joseph Fagnani (privately printed, 1930), p 119, erroneously under 1864.

Physical descriptionback to top

Pale complexion, blue eyes, grey hair and brown beard. Dressed in a white shirt, dark stock, and dark coat with fur edge on left hand side. Background colour green.

Provenanceback to top

The artist, presented by his daughter, Emma Fagnani, through Lord Lytton, 1891.


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 (William) Henry Lytton Earle Bulwer, Baron Dalling and Bulwer