Samuel Scott

This portraitback to top

Besides being known as Thomson, as suggested by the engraving formerly on the back, NPG 1683 also went under the name of Prior when in the Pym collection (see Provenance). Sir Charles Holmes [1] thought it represented Scott and under this name it came to the NPG. It does not accord with known portraits of either Prior or Thomson (q.v.) and comparison with authentic likenesses of Scott is inconclusive. Although painted with an unusually bright and attractive palette, the hand has not yet been identified.

Footnotesback to top

1) Director of NPG, 1909-16, and of the National Gallery 1916-28.

Physical descriptionback to top

Dark blue almond-shaped eyes, pale grey eyebrows, light cheek colour, full carmine lips; blue velvet cap with gold tassel pulled over ear-tip, white neckcloth, brown gown; grey background, lit from the right.
An oval engraving by R. Cooper after the portrait of the poet James Thomson by W. Aikman formerly pasted to the back of the stretcher is now in the picture dossier.

Conservationback to top

Unevenly cleaned; possible damage in shadow below the nose, right; paint losses at corners.

Provenanceback to top

Given, 1912, by F. A. White, as Scott; from the Pym collection, Foxwold, Christie's, 22 November 1912, lot 46 (as Prior by Dahl); previous history unknown.


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.

View all known portraits for Samuel Scott