Thomas Moore

This portraitback to top

The portrait was offered to the Gallery in 1902 as being by John Jackson c.1802, but with no information about its previous history. Its attribution remained as Jackson until the 1914 catalogue where it appeared as 'Artist Unknown', remaining as such ever since. Jackson painted Moore in Rome in November 1819 - 'he begged to have my portrait' (Memoirs, Journal and Correspondence of Thomas Moore, III, pp 63-4, 88) - and the result now in the National Gallery of Ireland shows Moore aged 40 leaning thoughtfully on his hand; a drawing in similar attitude was published in The European Magazine, 1 April 1824. Moore began to keep a diary in 1818 but there is no mention of an earlier portrait there, nor in the Letters of Thomas Moore. The work is sketchy and rather crude but not unaccomplished and may have been painted in London shortly after the publication of Odes of Anacreon in 1800.

Physical descriptionback to top

Head and shoulders facing aged 20-5, dark hair, green-blue eyes, fresh complexion, very red lips; brown coat, white waistcoat, neckcloth and cravat; plain dark background.

Provenanceback to top

Bought from H. Hughes-Stanton 1903.

Exhibitionsback to top

'Great Irishmen', Belfast, 1965 (146).


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 Thomas Moore