Thomas Frank Heaphy
1 portrait of Thomas Frank Heaphy
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- Extended catalogue entry
Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue
Thomas Frank Heaphy
by Thomas Frank Heaphy
circa 1831
10 in. x 9 1/2 in. (254 mm x 241 mm)
NPG 4016
This portraitback to top
According to family tradition (letter from donor of 7 April 1957, NPG archives), this portrait was painted when Heaphy was eighteen, and was the first work he exhibited at the RA; it may therefore be identical with the 'Portrait of a Gentleman' exhibited RA, 1831 (530). Heaphy may possibly be represented in a miniature of the family by his father, sold Sotheby's, 11 March 1952 (lot 25). The only other recorded likeness of him is a photograph by Bassano (example in NPG, presented by Miss Morris).
Physical descriptionback to top
Healthy complexion, brown eyes and hair. Dressed in a dark blue neck-tie, red waistcoat, dark blue coat, fawn trousers. Seated in a red chair, leaning elbow on a table covered in green cloth, with an inkwell and quill pen on it. Most of the background is covered by a red patterned curtain, except for a brown patch top left. The water-colour is in poor condition; the varnish has cracked and partially disintegrated.
Provenanceback to top
The sitter, presented by his granddaughter, Miss E. D. Morris, 1957.
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.