Sir David Wilkie

This portraitback to top

The drawing appears to have been made specially for the Contemporary Portraits and was probably commissioned by Cadell & Davies. The sitter's age seems to be older than in Jackson's British Museum drawing of 1807 and younger than in the NPG self-portrait of 1813. The earliest of the Contemporary Portraits were published in 1809, Jackson contributing frequently from 1810 (Pitt and Gainsborough) onwards. Wilkie and Jackson had been friends from student days and painted or drew each other on many occasions (see The Art-Union, 1846, p 333 for mutual drawings). This is possibly the Jackson drawing sold among two hundred sketches at the Wilkie sale at Christie's 11 May 1836 (99).

Physical descriptionback to top

Head and shoulders to right, dark coat, white neckcloth and tie; dark hair touched with brown or red chalk.

Provenanceback to top

Early history unknown until Sotheby's (Mrs M. F. Warner sale) 2 June 1943 (11) bought by Arthur Spencer from whom bought by the NPG, 24 June 1943.

Reproductionsback to top

Stipple vignette by H. Meyer 'from an original Drawing by J. Jackson' published Cadell & Davies, 1 July 1815 and reproduced in Contemporary Portraits, 1822, II, 148.


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 John Jackson

View all known portraits for Sir David Wilkie