Monk Lewis

Inscriptionback to top

Scratched on front: G L - Saunders Pxt and with a newspaper cutting referring to Lewis stuck on back card.

This portraitback to top

As Monk Lewis had a 'boyish' look for the whole of his short life, this portrait is hard to date, but as Saunders was aged 11 when Lewis died, one would expect this miniature to be a copy. The only comparable portraits are an undated miniature in the Institute of Jamaica possibly painted shortly after the publication of The Monk in 1795, and the Monthly Mirror engraving of 1796 by Ridley after Drummond.

Physical descriptionback to top

Head and shoulders to left in black cloak, white collar, black hair, light grey eyes.

Provenanceback to top

Bernard Falk and given by him 1927.

Exhibitionsback to top

'Byron', V&A Museum, 1974 (E6); 'Gothick 1720-1840', Brighton, 1975 (D15).


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 Matthew Gregory ('Monk') Lewis