Sir John Gladstone

This portraitback to top

The artist is almost certainly Thomas Gladstones, the sitter's nephew and an amateur artist by whom a number of Gladstone family portraits exist in Scotland (Gladstone collection Leith). The portrait was given to the Royal Society of Arts by T. M. Gladstones (1807-77), son of the sitter's brother James Gladstones, 'as the first of a series which he hoped may be collected in order to form a Gallery of Portraits of men eminent in the Scientific, Commercial, Manufacturing … world' (RSA Council Minutes, 19 May 1847).
For Sir John's change of spelling from Gladstones to Gladstone see Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 1847.

Physical descriptionback to top

Half-length seated aged about 65 in red leather armchair, dark grey suit, black neckcloth, white self-striped shirt; scanty white hair, hazel eyes, brown complexion.

Provenanceback to top

Thomas Murray Gladstones (nephew) and given by him to the Royal Society of Arts 1847; loan by RSA 1974 and presented 1975.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, 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 Sir John Gladstone