James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed centre right: painted by/C. Besland/in a new/and permanent manner/1807.

This portraitback to top

Lawrence's original oil, still in the Malmesbury family collection, was exhibited RA 1806 (125) and 'Pictures from Hampshire Houses' at Winchester and Southampton 1955 (36). Bestland's 'new and permanent manner' is at present unexplained, but his copy bears a noticeably close resemblance to John Cook's engraving used as frontispiece to the Diaries and Correspondence of James Harris, First Earl of Malmesbury, III.

Physical descriptionback to top

Head and shoulders in peer's robes and Collar of the Bath.

Provenanceback to top

Alan Evans bequest and lent by the National Gallery 1975.


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 James Harris, 1st Earl of Malmesbury