William Mulready

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in pencil (lower left): March 1846 and (bottom right): Mulready

This portraitback to top

This drawing was executed in the life school of the Royal Academy, where Lear was a student; Mulready was a visitor there in 1845 and 1846. It was sent by Lear with an undated letter to his father (copy in NPG archives):

'The heads rise slowly but do not think I am negligent. Whenever I have an opportunity, & these do not occur every day, I take advantage of it as the enclosed will assure you. It is a very lucky hit at our very great gun Mulready. It will do for a sort of sun around which the lesser planets may cluster. I think myself lucky in getting this, for he is a bird not commonly seen.'

Referenceback to top

Ormond
R. L. Ormond, 'Victorian Student's Secret Portraits',Country Life, CXLI (1967), 288-9.

Provenanceback to top

The artist; bequeathed to John Elliot, and presented by him, 1907.

Reproductionsback to top

R. L. Ormond, 'Victorian Student's Secret Portraits',Country Life, CXLI (1967), 288.


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 William Mulready