Sir William Lee

This portraitback to top

Vanderbank's signed original was owned by Mrs Benedict Eyre, by descent through the Lee family. [1] It was bought by M. Harris at the posthumous sale of her property from Hartwell House, Sotheby's, 26 April 1938, lot 49. The type was engraved as painted in 1738.

Footnotesback to top

1) See family tree in sale catalogue.

Physical descriptionback to top

Brown eyes, dark grey eyebrows, double chin, long dark-grey wig, parted in centre; white cravat, collar of SS over justice's scarlet robes, his right hand pointing to papers on a table with ornamental legs, a door behind.

Conservationback to top

Very dark; discoloured varnish, slight bituminous craquelure in the darks of the wig; a small loss top right; surface cleaned four times, varnished three times, repaired, restored and relined once between 1877 and 1902.

Provenanceback to top

Presented, 1877, by the Honourable Society of Judges and Serjeants-at-Law; previous history unknown.

Reproductionsback to top

Mezzotint by J. Faber junior, lettered I Vanderbank pinx^t. 1738.


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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