Lionel Nathan de Rothschild

Inscriptionback to top

Signed and dated (bottom right): M Oppenheim/1835
Inscribed on a label on the back of the stretcher: Prof. Moritz Oppenheim, 1800-1882/Portrait of Lionel Nathan Rothschild,/painted 1836

This portraitback to top

According to the vendor (letter of 4 July 1952, NPG archives), this portrait was probably painted in the autumn of 1835, when the young Rothschild was staying with his uncle in Frankfurt. The visit resulted in Rothschild's engagement to his cousin, Charlotte Rothschild. Oppenheim was a prominent Frankfurt artist.

Physical descriptionback to top

Healthy complexion, dark eyes, dark brown hair. Dressed in a black stock and neck-tie, white shirt, black waistcoat, coat and trousers. Seated in a wooden arm-chair, covered in red material, holding a blue handkerchief on his knee. Blue sky, and brown and green landscape on the left, purple curtain on the right, with a grey wall in the bottom right-hand corner.

Provenanceback to top

The artist; by descent to his grandson, Alfred Oppenheim, and purchased from him, 1952.

Exhibitionsback to top

Exhibition of Anglo-Jewish Art and History, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1956 (473).


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 Lionel Nathan de Rothschild