John Simpson

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed (or possibly a reinforced signature), bottom right: Angelica Kauffman pinx.

This portraitback to top

Simpson is an intruder within the National collection, NPG 1485 having been accepted in 1908 as a portrait of the actor John Palmer (q.v.), although it had previously been sold as a portrait of Simpson. The correct identity had been established by 1924 [1] and in 1925 the portrait was lent to Newcastle.
A replica is in a private collection in Sussex. [2] Both derive from the signed three-quarter length by Kauffmann dated 1777, formerly with the sitter’s descendants, which otherwise differs principally in showing a large urn to the right instead of the hat, and no slashes in the costume. [3] A miniature by John Smart, sold Christie’s, 14 October 1998, lot 160, apparently derived from Kauffmann’s composition. Kauffmann also painted three-quarter length portraits of his mother, dated 1767 (the year her husband sat to Reynolds), and of his wife. [4]
A silhouette inscribed John Simpson was sold Bonham’s, 2 February 2000, lot 4.

Footnotesback to top

1) Following Milner's visit to Eslington in 1922, see note 4.
2) Earl of Hardwicke sale, Christie’s, 27 June 1924, lot 140; exhibited Sussex and the Grand Tour, 1986 (27).
3) Sketched at Eslington Park by J. D. Milner in 1922 (Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketch Books, 43/n.p.); Eslington Park sale, Anderson & Garland, 2nd day, 6 November 1951, lot 490; G. C. Williamson & Lady Victoria Manners, Angelica Kauffmann, R.A., her life and works, 1924, p 203; last sold Christie’s, 28 January 1983, lot 41.
4) Both were sketched at Eslington Park by J. D. Milner in 1922 (Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketch Books, 43/n.p.); Eslington Park sale, Anderson & Garland, 2nd day, 6 November 1951, lots 491, 489; G. C. Williamson & Lady Victoria Manners, Angelica Kauffmann, R.A., her life and works, 1924, p 203.

Physical descriptionback to top

Blue eyes, brown hair, wearing a blue drape over a red Van Dyck costume, white stockings with blue rosettes at the knee and on the brown shoes; green chair and a green drape above; his black, plumed hat rests on a the pedestal bearing a classical relief of a grieving woman.

Provenanceback to top

By descent from Sir John Paul, 1st Bt., the sitter's son-in-law, to Aubrey John Dean Paul (1827-90); succeeded as 3rd Bt. 1868); his sale Christie’s, 5 July 1855, lot 4¹ (as John Simpson by Kauffmann), bought Watson; Charles Davis, by whom presented 1908 (as John Palmer).

¹ The Christie’s day book says the pictures were ‘from Mr Gambart’; I am grateful to Margie Christian for this information.

Exhibitionsback to top

Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle, 1925-94.


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 Angelica Kauffmann