Sir Patrick Grant

This portraitback to top

According to Maull and Fox, [1] this painting was finished from life, but, apart from the addition of a cloak, it is hardly distinguishable from the Maull and Fox photograph, the head and shoulders of which was reproduced as a woodcut in an illustrated magazine (cutting in NPG). It is a variant of a similar portrait painted for a member of the family (possibly the earlier portrait attributed to Buckner). Grant is dressed in a field-marshal's uniform of post-1880 (he was promoted in 1883), and is wearing the sash, star and cross of the Bath, and the star of the order of St George and St Michael. The four medals, inaccurately copied from the photograph, are the Sutlej medal, Indian General Service medal (North-West Frontier clasp), Punjab medal and Gwalior star (for Punniar or Maharajpoor). [2]

Footnotesback to top

1) Memorandum of an interview with a member of the firm, 17 January 1907 (NPG archives), who provided the name of the artist; E. J. Turner is not recorded in any of the standard dictionaries of artists.
2) Information on uniform and decorations kindly communicated by Major N. P. Dawnay.

Physical descriptionback to top

Dark eyes, grey hair and beard. Dressed in a red uniform, liberally decorated with gold braid, white breeches, black boots, white gloves, and black cloak with crimson lining. Black hat with braid and white feathers. Gilt sword scabbard, white hilt. Red and gold baton. Pillars at right brown. Background landscape green and brown. Sky grey and blue.

Provenanceback to top

The sitter, presented by some members of his family, 1907.


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 Sir Patrick Grant