William Somerville

Inscriptionback to top

An inscription in black paint on the back of the relining canvas, copied no doubt from the original, reads: W^m. Somerville Esqr/born Died.19th July/1742 This Portrait supposed/to be the only one for/which Somerville/ever sat now presented/by him to his friend/Christopher Wren Esq/of Wroxhall Abbey/nr[?] Warwick in/1738.
On top of the stretcher a MS label 23538 and a printed label 780.

This portraitback to top

Crudely painted, possibly by a provincial hand, NPG 1308 is the only version known and, despite the omission of the sitter's date of birth, the inscription is acceptable. Christopher Wren (1675-1747), son of Sir Christopher, the eminent architect, who purchased Wroxhall Abbey, was a neighbour and particular friend of the sitter. [1] It has been suggested [2] that NPG 1308 may be the source of the interesting whole length inscribed Wm Somerville Esqr/Author of the Chace which descended to the Blackett family of Matfen Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, heirs to the Somerville estates. This portrait which is probably by Aikman was stated to have been given by the sitter, with other possessions, to his kinsman [3] the 13th Baron Somerville in return for financial assistance. It is also doubtless the painting which inspired Epistle to Mr Aikman the Painter On his painting a full-length Portrait of the Author in the decline of Life, carrying him back, by the Assistance of another Portrait, to his youthful Days. [4] The whole length portrait was engraved half length by R. Rhodes, 1815, when still in the possession of John Southey, 14th Baron Somerville (1765-1819). The similarity between the portrait by ‘Mr Aikman' and NPG 1308 is striking. The wig in the latter went out of fashion soon after 1695; the costume in the former indicates a date in the late 1720s when the sitter would have been considerably older than the young man there portrayed.

Footnotesback to top

1) J. P. Neale, Views of the Seats of Noblemen and Gentlemen etc., III, 1820, pl.58 and preceding discussion.
2) By Miss A. M. Wrinch to whom I am indebted for research on this sitter.
3) They both claimed descent from Sir Walter Somerville, G. E. Cockayne, The Complete Peerage, revised by V. Gibbs (and others), 1910-59, XII, part 1, p 105(a).
4) Somerville, Poetical Works, II, 1805, p 16.

Physical descriptionback to top

Almond-shaped grey-brown eyes, pouches below, strongly marked brown eyebrows, high light-brown wig falling well below shoulders, dark complexion; plum-coloured coat with blue facings, white cravat; light brown background shading to dark brown.

Conservationback to top

A small damage restored on the right shoulder; relined and revarnished, 1902.

Provenanceback to top

Given, 1902, by Mrs Charles Pigott, last lineal descendant of Christopher Wren.

Exhibitionsback to top

Second Exhibition of National Portraits, South Kensington, 1867 (187), lent by C. Wren Hoskyns as by Sir Godfrey Kneller.

Reproductionsback to top

Engraved by W. H. Worthington in 1821.


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.

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