Dominic Serres

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed in pencil, bottom right: D Serres R A; the old mounting board was inscribed: Portrait of Dominic Serres R.A./a year before his death./ob. 1793.

This portraitback to top

Described by the donor as ‘amusing rather than interesting’, [1] this appears to be one of the drawings made by Serres’ friend and neighbour (from 1780) in St George’s Row, Paul Sandby. Another more finished drawing, showing Serres asleep in a chair, was last sold Sotheby’s, 10 July 1997, lot 17, [2] and a reversed and cruder copy was sold Christie’s, 26 May 1959, lot 96.

Footnotesback to top

1) Letter of 3 October 1884; NPG archive.
2) Illus. A. Russett, Dominic Serres, 2001, p.183, and see p 189.

Provenanceback to top

Presented by William Hudson 1881.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, National Portrait Gallery, 2004, 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 Paul Sandby

View all known portraits for Dominic Serres