Maria-Louisa Phipps (née Campbell), Samuel Rogers, Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton

This portraitback to top

The picture represents Mrs Phipps on the left, Samuel Rogers in the centre and Caroline Norton (later Lady Stirling-Maxwell) on the right. Its early history is unknown. The fact that it remained unfinished, and that it was painted at a time when Stone had largely given up portraiture, suggests that it was a spontaneous and informal sketch, rather than a commissioned work. The attribution to Stone rests on tradition, but is very credible, and accords well with his style. The date is based on costume. A small oil sketch of Rogers by Stone (15 x 12 inches (381 x 305 cm)), very close in pose and features to the NPG portrait, is in the collection of William Marshall, sold from the Burdett-Coutts Collection, Christie's, 4 May 1922 (lot 240). Stone is known to have been friendly with Rogers (they were probably introduced by Dickens), while Caroline Norton was an old friend of the poet. Mrs Phipps had married Caroline Norton's brother-in-law, the Hon Charles Francis Norton, in 1831. Following his death in 1835, she married the Hon Edmund Phipps, son of the 1st Earl of Mulgrave, in 1838.

Referenceback to top

Connoisseur, LXII (1922), 174.

Physical descriptionback to top

Mrs Phipps on the left, fresh complexion, dark eyes and brown hair, dressed in black with white lace sleeves and neck. Rogers, sallow complexion, dark eyes, grey hair, dressed in a white shirt, dark stock and dark brown coat. Mrs Norton, fresh complexion, dark eyes, black hair, dressed in white with a blue bow at her bosom. Background colours red and brown.

Provenanceback to top

Henry Bohn, sold Christie's, 28 March 1885 (lot 1581), bought Lord Houghton; presented by his son, the 2nd Marquess of Crewe, 1921.

Exhibitionsback to top

Charles Dickens, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1970 (P19).

Reproductionsback to top

Connoisseur, LXII (1922), 175.


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 Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton (née Sheridan, later Lady Stirling-Maxwell)

View all known portraits for Samuel Rogers