Bernard Lens (III)

1 portrait matching these criteria:

- subject matching 'Self-portraits'

Bernard Lens (III), by Bernard Lens (III), 1721 -NPG 1624 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Early Georgian Portraits Catalogue

Bernard Lens (III)

by Bernard Lens (III)
1721
1 3/4 in. x 1 3/8 in. (44 mm x 35 mm) oval
NPG 1624

Inscriptionback to top

Signed in monogram and dated, left, level with his collar, BL./1721; inscribed on the back of the card Bernard Lens/Pictor Painted by/himself Oct ye. 31: 172[1]/Born may: ye. 29: 1682.

This portraitback to top

NPG 1624 is one of a series of self-portraits. The inscription, read on acquisition when the miniature was also described as being painted on card, is similar to that on the self-portrait at Welbeck Abbey. [1]

Footnotesback to top

1) R. W. Goulding, The Welbeck Abbey Miniatures ... A Catalogue Raisonné, 1916 (148).

Physical descriptionback to top

Heavy black eyebrows, large nose slightly curving, small mouth, full lips, firmly modelled, bluish chin; large dark grey velvet cap with thin line of gold embroidery visible top left, matching dark grey coat, white shirt open at collar; greenish-brown background, lighter to right.

Conservationback to top

Very good.

Provenanceback to top

Bought, 1911, from G. R. Slaughter of Leyton.


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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