Thomas Taylor

This portraitback to top

Lawrence's original portrait, exhibited RA 1812 (228), was acquired by the National Gallery of Canada in 1912. NPG 374 is a reduced copy painted by Richard Evans, one of Lawrence's assistants. In a letter to Scharf, Evans writes: 'His friends of that time had so high an opinion of him that they determined to have his portrait painted by the best man of the day and consequently they employed Lawrence. I thought it so true a picture that I made a copy of it for myself; which copy I have had in my possession ever since ...' (letter dated 11 May 1869 in NPG archive).

Physical descriptionback to top

Three-quarter-length seated in a black suit, waistcoat with blue lining, white neckcloth and cravat; neat dark hair tinged with grey, dark eyebrows, bright dark brown eyes, swarthy complexion; his right hand resting on a table holds the corner of a paper, a volume of Plato in the right foreground; crimson curtain background with Acropolis to left.

Provenanceback to top

Richard Evans and given by him to Sir George Scharf in 1869; given by Scharf to the NPG in 1873.


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 Thomas Lawrence

View all known portraits for Thomas Taylor