Edward Gibbon

Inscriptionback to top

Verso, a chalk sketch of blossom and the inscription: The Decline & Fall of the Roman Emp
Inscribed top right: Gibbon the Historian.

This portraitback to top

This amateur drawing, showing Gibbon towards the end of his life, seated in characteristic pose, his legs wide apart due to his gout [1], was found loose in an album of drawings (some bearing dates from 1793) by a member of the Walpole of Wolterton family, although it seems to be by a different hand. [2] It bears some resemblance to a drawing by Lavinia, Countess Spencer, in the British Museum (1890.5.12.10).

Footnotesback to top

1) As seen, for example, in the drawing by M. V. Brandoin of 1785-90, engraved by C. Constans and cf. G. de Beer, Gibbon, 1967, pp 93, 141.
2) The album contains drawings of Bavarian peasants as mentioned by R. W. Ketton Cremer, in his letter of 12 October 1965 (NPG archive); he added ‘I think the insertion of the drawing in this volume may have been accidental’.

Provenanceback to top

Mrs D. F. Walpole of Oaklands, Sheringham, who gave it in 1965 to R. W. Ketton Cremer, by whom bequeathed 1971.

Exhibitionsback to top

Garrick and his Contemporaries, Stratford-upon-Avon, 1969 (54).


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.

View all known portraits for Edward Gibbon