Theobald Mathew

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in white chalk on the back of the canvas: Father Mathew/Painted/from the Life by/E D Leahy 1845 [sic]/Exhibited at the/Royal Academy London/1857 [sic]

This portraitback to top

According to a letter of May 1865 from the artist (NPG archives): 'I painted it at his residence in Cork in Jan^y 1846 from the life, it is the original & never has been copied. Exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1847. Price 20 gs.' The Royal Academy catalogue records that this portrait was 'from the life, while executing a portrait of him for the late Dwarkanauth Tagor'; the present location of this last portrait is not known.

Referenceback to top

Scharf
G. Scharf, Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketch Books (NPG archives), XVIII, 78; W. G. Strickland, Dictionary of Irish Artists (1913), II, 14.

Physical descriptionback to top

Bluish eyes, brown hair. Dressed in a white stock, white shirt, dark coat, with a medal suspended from a black ribbon on his chest. Background colour very dark brown.

Provenanceback to top

The artist, purchased from him, 1865.

Exhibitionsback to top

RA, 1847 (66).


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1973, 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 Theobald Mathew