Sir John Holt

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed, upper right: Lord Chief Justice Holt; signed, bottom right: RVBleec./Fecit (RVB in monogram).

This portraitback to top

Acquired following the destruction of NPG 718 at Gray’s Inn during World War II.
The clock on the left has been identified as a double basket-top bracket clock with an ebonised pear-tree case, c.1695. [1] A half-length version, inscribed with identity, is at Gray’s Inn. [2]

Footnotesback to top

1) Note from P. Webster c.1940, on file.
2) Cat. of the Portraits in the possession of the Hon Soc. of Gray’s Inn, 1968, no.240; from the sitter’s niece by marriage, Jane Holt, by descent to Lord Northbourne, his sale, Sotheby’s, 12 December 1945, lot 63, when purchased. A copy by W. S. Myall 1958 was made for Lord Williams Grammar School, Thame (Holt’s birthplace).

Referenceback to top

Piper 1963
D. Piper, Catalogue of the Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery 1625-1714, 1963, p 170.

Provenanceback to top

The Earls of Hardwicke (probably by descent from the 1st Earl), Wimpole; Christie’s, 30 June 1888, lot 29, bought Thibaudeau;¹ Christie’s, 24 February 1939, lot 53, bought F. B. Daniell & Son, from whom purchased 1941.

¹ Piper noted that lot 49 from the 1888 sale was lot 52 in the 1939 sale.

Reproductionsback to top

P. Audinet 1793 (half-length, as belonging to Lord Hardwicke).


This extended catalogue entry is from the National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Later Stuart Portraits 1685–1714, National Portrait Gallery, 2009, 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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