Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke

This portraitback to top

First identified in the Northwick sale by Oliver Millar, from the original at Wilton. [1] Dated 1676 by Richard Jeffree, [2] when Pembroke was barely twenty years old, agreeing well enough with his appearance here, while Greenhill aged twenty-seven was then in the last year of his life. Although probably a replica, NPG 5237 is of autograph quality. A portrait of Pembroke by Greenhill was listed at Hinton St George in 1742. [3]

Footnotesback to top

1) Wilton cat., 1968, no.21 (oval); also identified by Oliver Millar, having previously been called ‘Henry Lord Herbert by Wissing’.
2) On comparison with Greenhill’s drawing of Philip Woolrich (Yale Center for British Art, B1978.3.4; illus. P. J. Noon, English Portrait Drawings & Miniatures, Yale Center for British Art, 1979, no.9).
3) See Sir William Musgrave, MS lists of portraits, British Museum, Add. MSS 6391, f.177, no.119.

Referenceback to top

Borenius 1921
T. Borenius, Cat. of Pictures at Northwick Park, 1921, p 113, no.269 as English school, Duke of Monmouth or John, Lord Cutts.

Northwick cat., 1864, p 38, no.321.

Simon & Saywell (eds.) 2004
Complete Illustrated Catalogue, NPG, ed. J. Simon & D. Saywell, 2004, p 487.

Provenanceback to top

Northwick Park by 1864; by descent to Capt. E. G. Spencer Churchill (d. 1965); Northwick Park sale, Christie’s, 25 June 1965, lot 60 as ‘English School, Duke of Monmouth’, bought A. F. W. Humphrys of Swindon, from whom purchased 1979.

Exhibitionsback to top

Royal Fine Art Commission 1992–98; Lyme Park 2001–.


This extended catalogue entry is from the National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Later Stuart Portraits 1685–1714, National Portrait Gallery, 2009, 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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