Charles Dibdin

This portraitback to top

A three-quarters of Dibdin is entered in the Phillips sitter book in March 1799; a marginal note indicates that it was exhibited with the five other portraits listed that month, but it seems Dibdin was never shown in the artist’s lifetime. [1]

Footnotesback to top

1) The sitter book is not scrupulous, e.g. the ‘Miss Sabine’ entered for March 1799 had been exhibited RA 1798 (290), but four of the portraits listed that month are identifiable at the RA in 1799.

Referenceback to top

MS copy by J. D. Milner 1899 of Thomas Phillips's sitter book, March 1799, no.92.

Physical descriptionback to top

Brown eyes, grey powdered hair, wearing a white neckcloth and waistcoat, and a dark brown coat with black collar and brass buttons.

Provenanceback to top

John Hutchinson;¹ Samuel John Egbert Jones, from whom purchased 1860.

¹ ‘It came to me from the late Mr John Hutchinson for many years the friend of the Dibdins. I have no doubt it was either a present to him as a slight compensation for that friendly assistance he was accustomed to yield them up to the termination of their lives, or he had become its purchaser when they wanted money’ (S. J. E. Jones to Dr E. Niemann, 7 May 1860; NPG archive).

Exhibitionsback to top

Third and concluding exhibition of National Portraits (fortieth year of the reign of George the third to MDCCCLXVII), South Kensington, 1868 (10); Royal Naval Exhibition, Chelsea, 1891 (497).

Reproductionsback to top

J. Young 1799; W. Greatbach 1838; A. Dick 1838 (vignette); G. Stodart.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, National Portrait Gallery, 2004, 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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