William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington

1 portrait matching these criteria:

- subject matching 'Books and libraries'

William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington, by James Worsdale, 1746-1750 -NPG 4376 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Early Georgian Portraits Catalogue

William Stanhope, 1st Earl of Harrington

by James Worsdale
1746-1750
37 3/4 in. x 49 1/4 in. (959 mm x 1251 mm)
NPG 4376

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed or signed on the base of the column, left: Worsdale/pinxit.

This portraitback to top

From the inscription and the sitter's known term of office as lord lieutenant of Ireland, NPG 4376 is datable to 1746-50. It might have been painted in Dublin or London but more likely the latter. Although generally expected to hold court during the winter months, the lord lieutenants often returned to London and were rarely continuously in residence in Dublin. [1] Worsdale worked in both cities and was appointed master painter to the board of ordnance in London after 1744.

Footnotesback to top

1) B. Williams, The Whig Supremacy 1714-1760, (Oxford History of England), 1949, p 276.

Physical descriptionback to top

Dark grey eyes and eyebrows, dark complexion, grey wig with looped end falling behind shoulders; reddish-brown velvet coat, white lace shirt and wrist ruffles; in his left hand he holds a letter, the wording not quite legible, the fifth line possibly reading 16000 Pounds; on the table a packet tied with red tape is addressed To/His Excellency th/Harrington Lord/Lieutenant of/Ireland/ —, the corner covered by an inkpot; chair with carved back surmounted with an earl's coronet; lit from the left.

Conservationback to top

Discoloured varnish removed on acquisition, 1964, revealed signature, bottom left; false paint may still be present; green paint of the tablecloth is brighter under the edge of the frame.

Provenanceback to top

Bought, 1964, from Bernard, the purchaser at Sotheby's, Harrington sale, 6 May 1964, lot 7, as by Kneller; possibly one of two unattributed portraits listed c.1804 [1] in the Yellow Bedroom and Blue Room at Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire, the family seat.

1) G. P. Harding, List of Portraits ... in Various Mansions of the United Kingdom ... MS, c.1804, NPG archives, III, f.12, followed by J. P. Neale, Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen etc., I, 1818 [37].


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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