Jonas Hanway

This portraitback to top

Correspondence in 1963 with Sir John Molesworth-St Aubyn, Bart, [1] established that NPG 4301 is a smaller version of the three-quarter length signed and dated 1785, in his collection and mislabelled Sir James Ramsay, 4th Bart. Sir John's must be the portrait in Northcote's notebook listed under 'Pictures painted in the year 1785': 'Commisr. Hanway half length - 21 0 bought and paid for by Sir William Molesworth for 10. .10'.

Footnotesback to top

1) NPG archives.

Physical descriptionback to top

Grey eyes, receding jaw, round-shouldered, elderly appearance, grey wig with two rows of curls to below ears; white collar and cuffs, dark brown coat without collar, open, and matching waistcoat; a chair covered with scarlet cloth, dark green drapery behind; in his right hand a paper and, behind, two upright books, all unlettered; plain brown background; lit from top right.

Conservationback to top

Discoloured repaints removed, cleaned and restored on acquisition, 1956.

Provenanceback to top

Received, 1963, by bequest from Sir Orme Sargent; bought Christie's, 14 July 1939, lot 12, as by Angelica Kauffmann, from the collection of Miss Susan Wilberforce and Dr Octavia Wilberforce, relations of Sir Orme; possibly from the collection of William Wilberforce and thereafter by descent through the marriage of his son Bishop Samuel Wilberforce (1805-73) to Emily Sargent in 1828.


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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