Samuel Lysons

Inscriptionback to top

Agnews Manchester trade label on back-board and an old ink-written label above: Samuel Lysons Esq/F.R.S. F.S.A. &c/Sketched by Sir Thomas Lawrence.

This portraitback to top

The drawing is evidently a study for Lawrence's oil now in the Center for British Art, Yale University, first mentioned in Diary of Joseph Farington, 4 April 1799, exhibited RA 1799 (137) and engraved in mezzotint by S. W. Reynolds 1804 as 'SAMUEL LYSONS ESQr F.R.S. & F.A.S. Keeper of the Records in the Tower'. An enamel miniature copy of Lawrence's oil by Henry Bone, dated July 1803, was offered to the NPG in 1961 by F. T. Sabin; Bone's drawing for this is in the NPG library (Henry Bone’s annotated pencil drawings for miniatures and enamels, III, 6).

Physical descriptionback to top

Head full-face in high collar (numerals in pencil lower right).

Provenanceback to top

Lysons family possession until sold Bruton Knowles & Co Gloucester 21 April 1887 (323) to Mrs W. E. Price; W. R. Price 1932 and his daughter Mrs Alan Davidson's sale Christie's 2 March 1976 (140) bought Morton Morris and sold by him to the NPG 5 March 1976.


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 Sir Thomas Lawrence

View all known portraits for Samuel Lysons