Allan Ramsay

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in ink on the back of the paper: A. Ramsay. drawn by himself in the Island of Ischia/August 1776.

This portraitback to top

One of four drawings, the artist's last important work, [1] done in Ischia c.1776. The other three are portraits of his second wife inscribed Begun for Mrs Ramsay in the Island of Ischia but not like 1776, National Gallery of Scotland (293b); his daughter Amelia, and of a country girl, [2] both formerly in the collection of Sir Bruce Ingram, now respectively in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery and the Ashmolean Museum. Under ultra violet light it appears just possible that the last figure of the date in NPG 1660 has been changed from '5' to '6'. Ramsay is not known to have visited Ischia in 1775 and although on his way to Italy that year, he was still in Paris as late as 24 August. [3]

Footnotesback to top

1) A. Smart, The Life and Art of Allan Ramsay, 1952, p 157.
2) Exhibited 'British Portraits', RA, 1956-57 (643).
3) A. Smart, The Life and Art of Allan Ramsay, 1952, p 156.

Physical descriptionback to top

Lined forehead, short wig with single row of curls, appearance drawn and ageing; white cravat and shirt ruffle, coat with short collar; lit from the right.

Conservationback to top

Slightly creased.

Provenanceback to top

Bought, 1912, from Frank T. Sabin, who had all four of the Ischia drawings.

Exhibitionsback to top

'British Self Portraits', Arts Council, 1962 (22); 'Allan Ramsay (1713-1784) his Masters and Rivals', National Gallery of Scotland, 1963 (117); ‘Allan Ramsay', RA, 1964 (136).


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, 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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