Philip Barker Webb

1 portrait

Philip Barker Webb, by Lalogero di Bernadis, 1820 -NPG 4327 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue

Philip Barker Webb

by Lalogero di Bernadis
1820
15 in. x 10 1/2 in. (381 mm x 267 mm)
NPG 4327

Inscriptionback to top

Signed and dated (along the edge of the dais on which Webb sits, lower left and centre): LALOGERO DI BERNARDIS 1820
Inscribed in faded ink on an old label on the back of the stretcher (much of it indecipherable even with the aid of ultra-violet rays and infra-red photography, and apparently cut off on the right hand side): Description of the portrait [of] Philip Barker Webb Esqr in the/Turkish Costume in [?] … [?] of Suliman Effendi … [?]/ ... [?] right side above his head is the ... [?]/ ... [?] of the ... [?]/ Sutan Mahmoud ... [?]/ ... [?] Webb Barker ... [?] Turk/ ... [?] 19th 1820

This portraitback to top

Webb is shown in a typical Turkish interior, wearing the garment of a çelebi or effendi, with a characteristic felt hat and turban. Inscribed in gold to the left of his head is the imperial monogram or tugra of Sultan Mahmud II (1785-1839, ruled 1808-39), and on the right in Turkish (or possibly Persian, as it uses the letter 'P'), 'Philip Webb'. From the evidence of the script, the artist would appear to be Levantine, but nothing is known of him (information on the costume and inscriptions kindly communicated by G. M. Meredith-Owens of the British Museum).

Referenceback to top

NPG Annual Report, 1963-4 (1964), p 9.

Physical descriptionback to top

Healthy complexion, brown eyes and moustache. Dressed in predominantly red and scarlet garments of various tones, ornamented with gold and black designs and borders, yellow socks, black hat and white turban, with a silver-hilted sword. Holding a string of pearls in one hand, and a long brown pipe in the other. Seated on blue cushions with gold borders. Multi-coloured rug in foreground with a pair of Turkish shoes on the left. Grey wall behind decorated with red and green floral swags. Blue sky visible through window.

Provenanceback to top

An unlocated Puttick and Simpson sale, bought by a Mr Longden(?); Edwin Savage Ltd; Basil Ward, purchased from him, 1963.


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.

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