William Horsley

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed on back of the original canvas: William Horsley Mus. Bac. Oxon/painted by W. Owen. R.A. circa 1801

This portraitback to top

Horsley took his degree as Bachelor of Music at Oxford on 18 June 1800 aged 26 and no doubt the portrait was painted shortly afterwards, though he appears to be considerably older. In view of the inscription on the back of the canvas it is more likely to have been painted then than c.1813 when he married the composer's daughter Elizabeth Callcott.

Physical descriptionback to top

Half-length in black ermine-trimmed robe (Mus B. Oxon) over a brown suit with brass buttons, white neckcloth and shirt-frill; dark brown hair, blue-grey eyes, dark complexion; plain drab background.

Provenanceback to top

Bequeathed by his son J. C. Horsley RA (d. 1903) and accepted on the death of his wife in 1912.

Reproductionsback to top

Photograph with facsimile of signature in The Musical Times, 1 December 1903.


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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