Sir Henry Halford, 1st Bt

This portraitback to top

According to letters from the sitter's nephew in NPG archive, the portrait was begun in 1809; this is confirmed by an entry in Beechey's Account Books for a half payment on 24 November 1809, 'Of Sir Henry Halford (first half) for half-length himself ... £42'; the other half was paid in June 1811. It was possibly painted to celebrate his baronetcy. George III who knew and respected him as Dr Vaughan, created him a baronet in 1809, the year when he inherited a large property and changed his name from Vaughan to Halford by Act of Parliament.

Physical descriptionback to top

Oil on mahogany panel, signed with monogram WB at top of letter and inscribed on envelope: Sir Henry Halford Bt. Three-quarter-length seated to left holding a letter, dark brown suit, white collar and tie, close cropped powdered hair, hazel eyes, ruddy complexion; books and dark curtain background.

Provenanceback to top

The sitter, then his son Sir Henry Halford MP, who gave it to his cousin the Rev Canon Edward Thomas Vaughan, who gave it to the NPG in 1896.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA 1811 (437).


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.

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