Unknown man, formerly known as Richard Tattersall

This portraitback to top

Hitherto called Richard Tattersall (1724-95, the founder of Tattersall’s), but NPG 2357 shows a much younger man. [1] It might show his son Edmund (1758-1810), according to the traditional title of ‘Mr Tattersall’, but the only other image known of him, a caricature by Dighton of 1802, [2] seems to show swarthier features, even allowing for the difference of age. NPG 2357 was sold in 1929 as signed and dated JCB 1788, [3] but no trace of this remains visible; the monogram remains unidentified, [4] while the date seems entirely appropriate.

Footnotesback to top

1) Compare with the portrait of Richard Tattersall by Thomas Beach 1787, engraved J. Jones 1787 (illus. Pickpocketing the Rich, Bath, 2002, p 67); the hat he wears identical to that in NPG 2357.
2) A View in Hyde Park Corner (M. D. George, British Museum, Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires, VII, 9901).
3) The framer’s label formerly verso inscribed in ink: Signed JCB 1788.
4) I. A. Williams very tentatively suggested in 1957 (verbally) I. C. Barrow, one of whose watercolour landscapes is dated 1788.

Physical descriptionback to top

Wearing a black hat with a buckled band and a light-coloured coat.

Provenanceback to top

Sotheby’s, 27 July 1888, lot 62 (‘Mr Tattersall’, anon.); Sidney Phipson; Sotheby’s, 12 June 1929, lot 107 (‘Mr Tattersall’, signed JCB and with the date 1788), bought Meatyard for the NPG.


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.