Isaac Watts

This portraitback to top

One of three known examples, NPG 264 seems likely to be, on grounds of quality, a repetition or early copy of a type of which the original is likely to be either that in Dr Williams's Library, Gordon Square, to whom it was given by the executors of Mrs Abney's will, or that at New College, London, [1] of which Watts was one of the original Trustees, 1738-48. Though the type is not known to have been engraved before 1780 the identity seems virtually certain, in view of the provenance. However, the attribution to Kneller given by Scharf [2] is less demonstrable; though influenced by him, on grounds of costume the picture seems rather late to have been painted in his lifetime.

Footnotesback to top

1) Not now very easy to assess, it was described by Scharf as 'mellow and well painted' on 24 January 1861, Sir George Scharf's Trustees' Sketchbooks, V, p 17.
2) Sir George Scharf, Historical and Descriptive Catalogue of the Pictures, Busts & etc. in the National Portrait Gallery, new and enlarged edition, 1888, p 461.

Physical descriptionback to top

Grey eyebrows, dark grey eyes, grey wig parted in the centre; white bands and a green silk (?) gown with russet lining, or just possibly hood band; plain brown background; dark brown painted oval, strongly lit from the left.

Conservationback to top

Rubbed; very thin in the wig, numerous retouchings in the face are now discoloured; pin-holes at corners; sides trimmed (?) in old relining.

Provenanceback to top

Bought 1868 from J. R. Smith, together with NPG 265, a portrait after Kneller of John Howe, Cromwell's domestic chaplain. [1] Said to have been painted for Sir Thomas Abney (1640-1722), Lord Mayor of London, and an enthusiastic nonconformist, in whose house at Theobalds Watts spent the last thirty years of his life. Both portraits are stated to have descended from Abney to the vendor's father, Edward Smith, through three legatees. The first certain knowledge of NPG 264 is an engraving of 1834 by Robert Sears: From an Original Painting in the possession of Mr. Edward Smith, Finsbury Square.

1) See D. T. Piper, Catalogue of Seventeenth-Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, 1625-1714, 1963, pp 172-73.

Reproductionsback to top

According to Bromley, [1] the type was engraved by Caroline Watson for Watts' Life, 1780; an engraving in reverse by Trotter from an original picture in the possession of Mrs. Abney, published in 1783, is likely to be from the portrait presented to Dr Williams' Library on 4 July 1783 by Thomas Streatfield and John Harrison, executors of Mrs Abney's will. [2] Engraved by Robert Sears, 1834 (see Provenance).

1) H. Bromley, A Catalogue of Engraved British Portraits from Egbert the Great to the Present Time, 1793, p 282.
2) Sir Thomas Abney died at Theobalds, 6 February 1722; his widow survived until 1750 and his direct line became extinct with the death in August 1782 of his heiress and last surviving child Elizabeth, then aged 78, who was styled Mrs Abney, according to the Dictionary of National Biography, I, p 55, and information from Mr Creasey, Deputy Librarian of Dr Williams' library.


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.

View all known portraits for Isaac Watts