Thomas Patch

Inscriptionback to top

The original backing vellum inscribed in ink in an early nineteenth-century hand: Thomas Patch/Painter & Engraver/third son of/John Patch Senr-/Surgeon at Exeter/died unmarried/in Italy and: John Patch’s senr Surgeon/Portrait is in y Hospital/[Exeter]

This portraitback to top

The identification was accepted by Watson. [1] Although previously listed as by an unknown artist, the pose suggests a self portrait (and the dense background cross-hatching recurs in other drawings by Patch), [2] while the sitter’s apparent age and the family provenance further suggest NPG 4081 was made in Exeter before Patch’s departure for Italy in 1747.

Footnotesback to top

1) Note by C. K. Adams, November 1958 (NPG archive).
2) Cf. the profile of a lady in the British Museum (1874.07.11.179), illus. Apollo, XXVI, 1937, p 218.

Physical descriptionback to top

Blue eyes, powdered hair, wearing a red coat with a black collar; the figure is surrounded by a heavy brown hatching.

Provenanceback to top

By family descent to Blanche Patch;¹ H. O’Nians, from whom purchased 1958.

¹ Information from Francis Watson, November 1958 (NPG archive); Blanche Patch (c.1880-1966) was for nearly forty years George Bernard Shaw’s secretary.

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