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Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Bt

1 of 323 portraits of Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Bt

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Bt, by Henry William Pickersgill,  -NPG 3796 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue

Sir Robert Peel, 2nd Bt

by Henry William Pickersgill
94 3/4 in. x 57 7/8 in. (2407 mm x 1470 mm)
NPG 3796

Inscriptionback to top

A label on the back of stretcher identifies the portrait as the property of H. Graves of Pall Mall.

This portraitback to top

Another signed version of this portrait, showing Peel in a similar pose but in different clothes and with different accessories, is owned by the Department of the Environment (Home Office). The latter was engraved by G. R. Ward, published Hering and Remington, 1851 (example in British Museum). A copy is at Scotland Yard. Peel's son told Lord Iveagh that he considered the NPG portrait to be the best likeness of his father that he had ever seen (letter from Lord Iveagh, 8 December 1950, NPG archives).

Referenceback to top

MS catalogue of Lord Iveagh's collection (Kenwood), where the picture is said to have been purchased from Graves.

Physical descriptionback to top

Healthy complexion, greyish eyes, sandy hair. Dressed in a white and gold striped neck-tie and stock, white shirt, white waistcoat with gold watch-chain, dark brown coat and grey trousers, black shoes, holding a white document. Standing beside a table with a deep red cloth fringed in gold, on which is a dark green dispatch box, with papers inside. The carpet is red, and there is a yellow satin curtain on the right. Rest of background dark brown.

Provenanceback to top

The artist; Pickersgill sale, Christie's, 17 July 1875 (lot 355), bought Graves; 2nd Earl Iveagh, presented by him, 1951.

Exhibitionsback to top

Royal Jubilee Exhibition, Manchester, 1887 (520).


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.

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