John Russell, 1st Earl Russell

This portraitback to top

Although Russell appears older in this oil sketch than in the drawing (NPG 2635), it must date from the same period; Mrs Watts mentions it as one of her husband's first portraits of his famous contemporaries in a section of her biography dealing with 1851. In her catalogue she records that sittings took place at Holland House. In a letter of 14 February 1892 (NPG archives), Watts himself wrote: 'I think it was like'.

Referenceback to top

Watts 1912
[Mrs] M. S. Watts, George Frederic Watts (1912), I, 113-14.

Watts
'Catalogue of Works by G. F. Watts', compiled by Mrs M. S. Watts (Ms, Watts Gallery, Compton), II, 138.

Physical descriptionback to top

Brown hair and whiskers with greyish wisps. Dressed in a dark neck-tie, white collar, dark coat, holding a white piece of paper. Background colour brown. The hand is unfinished.

Provenanceback to top

The artist, presented by him, 1892.

Exhibitionsback to top

VE, 1892 (286).


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 John Russell, 1st Earl Russell

View all known portraits for George Frederic Watts