Charles FitzRoy, 2nd Duke of Grafton

This portraitback to top

Attribution to Hoare dates from the time of acquisition but there is no contemporary record of a portrait by this artist. A three-quarter length of the sitter in the Harrington heirlooms sale, [1] Christie's, 18 May 1917, lot 24, listed as the 3rd Duke and partly sketched by Milner, was attributed to Hoare as was a portrait of similar size which appeared at Christie's, 10 March 1950, lot 117 and again 17 October 1952, lot 111. The latter, a version of the portrait of 1739 by Vanloo at Euston Hall, has a coronet on the table instead of the plumed hat. No composition corresponding to NPG 723 is among the Hoare drawings in the British Museum and although the portrait is probably an independent type, it might conceivably be based in part on the Vanloo design. The features have been smoothed out and the manner, with the pronounced thrust of the elbow, is somewhat reminiscent of later Hudson.

Footnotesback to top

1) William Stanhope, Earl of Harrington (1719-79), married firstly Caroline, eldest daughter of Charles Fitzroy.

Physical descriptionback to top

Dark eyes, heavy eyebrows, strong nose, pouting lower lip, long grey wig falling behind his shoulder, right, and in front, left; Garter mantle lined with white, Garter collar, and red robes over a grey silk suit with silver lace, white lace cravat and cuffs, right hand gloved; white wand in his left hand, lord chamberlain's key of office at his waist; black Garter hat with lofty plumes on a table, right; plain masonry background with a pilaster, left.

Conservationback to top

Discoloured and perished varnish; lower lip retouched; surface cleaned and varnished 1895 and 1900.

Provenanceback to top

Presented, 1884, by Sir Richard Wallace, Bart, as by Hoare; possibly inherited 1870 from the collection of his father, 4th Marquess of Hertford. [1] The 1st Marquess married, 1741, Isabella, the sitter's daughter. There is no reference to the portrait in Musgrave's brief list of Hertford pictures at Ragley, 1797. [2]

1) Wallace Collection Catalogue Pictures and Drawings, 16th edition, 1968, pp viii, xiv.
2) British Museum Add MS 6391, f.217.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, 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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