Sir Sidney Smith; possibly Ahmad Pasha al-Jazzar ('Jazzar or Djezzar Pasha') and two unknown men

This portraitback to top

The purchase of the picture from an unnamed vendor was announced in The Times, 14 August 1890 causing Eckstein's daughter Georgiana Eckstein to write to the NPG with biographical details of her father and some particulars of the picture. She said it was painted from life after Smith's arrival in London from the Mediterranean in November 1801. It was on exhibition in Pall Mall in 1802.

Physical descriptionback to top

Whole-length brandishing a scimitar at the Siege of Acre, Djezzar Pasha and another Turk amid smoke beside him; captain's undress uniform (1795-1812), Hessian boots, pistol with extra stock at right hip, another pistol thrust into dark blue sash, Star of Swedish Order of the Sword (awarded 1792); carronade to right and four cannon-balls at his feet.

Provenanceback to top

Bought in 1890 from a client (name not disclosed) of Dixon, Ward, Letchworth & Weld, solicitors of 10 Bedford Row, WC.

Exhibitionsback to top

Historic Gallery, Pall Mall, 1802; Royal Naval Exhibition, Chelsea, 1891 (381) lent by the NPG; on loan to the National Maritime Museum since 1954.

Reproductionsback to top

Large stipple by Anthony Cardon published 1 January 1808; small line and stipple by G. & C. Cook in John Barrow, Life and Correspondence of Admiral Sir William Sidney Smith, 1848, I, frontispiece.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Walker, Regency Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1985, 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 Sir (William) Sidney Smith