James Wolfe

Inscriptionback to top

Written across the top: The underwritten lines were found in his/pocket after he was killed Sep^br. 12th. 1759 and below (both in the Duchess's hand): But since ignoble age* [the words are missing] [1] - must come/Disease & Death's inexorable Doom,/That life which others pay let us bestow/And give to fame what we to Nature owe:/Brave let us fall, or honor'd if we live,/Or let us Glory gain, or glory give -/Such, Men shall own deserve a Sov’reign State/Envied by those who dare not Imitate.

1) The bracketed words are added above the line.

This portraitback to top

Attributed in the Spencer-Clifford sale catalogue, 1883, to the 3rd Duke of Devonshire and by Scharf to the 4th Duke, NPG 688 is a posthumous interpretation loosely based on the profile type (see discussion under NPG 713A) executed in all probability by Lady Elizabeth Foster, [1] second wife of the 5th Duke. Other drawings by her were in the same sale and a stylistic resemblance between NPG 688 and a landscape drawing by her in the library at Chatsworth was noticed in 1931 by the then librarian Francis Thompson. [2] He also confirmed the handwriting on the portrait as the Duchess's.

Footnotesback to top

1) William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire (1748-1811), married first, 1774, Georgiana Spencer (1757-1806) and second, in 1809, Elizabeth, second daughter of Frederick August Hervey, 4th Earl of Bristol, and widow of John Thomas Foster (d. 1796); she died without issue, 1824, aged 64.
2) Correspondence, NPG archives.

Physical descriptionback to top

Characteristic pointed nose, chin more rounded than usually shown, pink cheek, own (?) hair flowing low down in front and gathered with a black ribbon behind; scarlet jacket with blue facings and yellow button plates.

Conservationback to top

Pale blue paper now faded and turning brown; wear along lines where originally folded to envelope size 4 ¼ x 3 1/8 in. (109 x 80 mm).

Provenanceback to top

Presented, 1883, by Lord Ronald Sutherland Gower, purchaser at the Lady Spencer-Clifford sale, 27 June 1883, lot 98; previously in the possession of the artist and possibly also of Lady Caroline Lamb. [1]

1) Sir George Scharf, Historical and Descriptive Catalogue of the Pictures, Busts & etc. in the National Portrait Gallery, new and enlarged edition, 1888, p 483. Lady Caroline Lamb (1785-1828), through her mother Lady Henrietta Frances Spencer, was related to the Devonshires and educated at Devonshire House, Dictionary of National Biography, XI, pp 421-22.

Exhibitionsback to top

(Wolfe bicentenary), Quebec House, Westerham, 1959.


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 James Wolfe