Abraham Goldsmid

1 portrait by Robert Dighton

Abraham Goldsmid, by Robert Dighton, 1803 -NPG 5477 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Regency Portraits Catalogue

Abraham Goldsmid

by Robert Dighton
1803
16 in. x 11 3/8 in. (406 mm x 288 mm)
NPG 5477

Inscriptionback to top

Signed and dated on a label lower right: Dighton 1803.

This portraitback to top

The previous owner, Mollie Hardwick an historical novelist, had typewritten a paper stuck to the back: 'Abraham Goldsmid was a member of the great Jewish 'Cousinhood', a prominent financier largely engaged on government business, owner of Morden Hall where he was a neighbour of Nelson and the Hamiltons. After Nelson's death, when Emma was in financial trouble, he bought Merton Place from her, but killed himself there as a result of the failure of the government loan in 1810. The portrait was obviously painted at Morden’ (paper in NPG archive).
Dighton's son, Richard Dighton, published in 1824 a companion etching of his nephew Sir Isaac Lyon Goldsmid, philanthropist and the first Jewish baronet (Alfred Rubens, Anglo-Jewish Portraits, 1935, 122, reproduced p 42). The NPG impression is identified as Mr B. A. Goldschmidt (Dighton's Caricatures, II, p 17).

Physical descriptionback to top

Whole-length standing on boards to left holding a paper with red seal inscribed in his own hand: Abrm Goldsmid/Esq/London, in a blue morning coat with brass buttons, white waistcoat, white neckcloth and cravat, buckskin breeches, black top-boots. On the back in water-colour is a pair of elegant legs in shoes, stockings and breeches.

Provenanceback to top

Mrs Mollie Hardwick and bought from her 1982.


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 Abraham Goldsmid