Lady Caroline Lamb

This portraitback to top

Not a great deal is known of Elizabeth Trotter, an Irish artist who came over from Dublin in about 1809, presumably associating with Lady Caroline (W. G. Strickland, Dictionary of Irish Artists, II, p 460).
After the Brocket Hall sale in 1923 the picture was acquired by Sir Buckston Browne FRCS, the donor to the Royal College of Surgeons of Down House, the home for 40 years of Charles Darwin. The canvas was lined and cut down at this stage, probably to fit into one of the Down House rooms, the measurements in the Brocket Hall sale being given as 60 x 80 in.

Physical descriptionback to top

Whole-length reclining in a landscape, in a white dress and blue sash, caressing a small dog; brown hair, brown eyes, bright complexion, melancholy expression.

Provenanceback to top

Lady Caroline Lamb and in Brocket Hall sale 8 March 1923 (315); Sir Buckston Browne and given by him to the Trustees of Down House, Kent; returned to Sir Buckston's daughter Lady Lett who gave it to the NPG in 1946.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA 1811 (425) as 'Portrait of a young lady'.


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.

View all known portraits for Lady Caroline Lamb