Alfred, Lord Tennyson

This portraitback to top

The donor's son, Hallam, Lord Tennyson, wrote on her behalf in a letter of 27 November 1894 (NPG archives): 'imperfect as the portrait … is artistically, she hopes that, being a good likeness, the Directors of the National Portrait Gallery will keep it until they get a better work of art'. Lord Tennyson subsequently wrote (letter of 17 December 1894, NPG archives), to say that he knew nothing about the artist, 'but the picture was considered a good likeness of my father I believe by more than one expert'. There is an anonymous etching after Arnault's portrait (example in British Museum). Other portraits based on the same Mayall photograph include the painting by E. G. Girardot, and the drawing by L. Dickinson; the photograph was Tennyson's favourite.

Provenanceback to top

Presented by Emily, Lady Tennyson, 1894.

Reproductionsback to top

Das Neunzehnte Jahrhundert (Berlin, 1899), II, no.135.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1973, 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 Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson