Henry Crabb Robinson

Inscriptionback to top

Signed on backing card: Henry Darvall/8 Gray's Inn Square

This portraitback to top

The attribution to Darvall, confirmed by his signature on the back, arose from a letter from the donor offering the portrait and saying 'it was painted by an artist named Darvall for Mr Martin Schenck, a wealthy merchant at Manchester, and given some years ago by his son the late Dr Edward Schenck to my wife ...' (letter May 1903 in NPG archive). Darvall exhibited from 1848 onwards mainly figure subjects and landscapes; this and another version in a private collection Buckinghamshire, are the only miniatures by him recorded in the NPG archive, but NPG 1347 has every appearance of being painted in thick oil over a daguerreotype on thin paper, slightly bubbling in places. The pose is typical of Maull & Polyblank's photographs of the period.

Physical descriptionback to top

Half-length to right aged c.80, hands clasped, black coat, black cravat, white shirt; sparse grey hair, grey eyes, healthy complexion, despondent expression; plain drab background.

Provenanceback to top

Martin Schenck; given by T. Smith Osler 1903.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, 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 Henry Crabb Robinson