James Gillray

This portraitback to top

The drawing is mounted as frontispiece to vol.II of the eight volume edition of the The Works of James Gillray 1756-1815 and has been attributed to Charles Turner (by Mrs Dorothy George) but bears little resemblance to Turner's mezzotint of Gillray's self-portrait. Indeed unless the hair-style and eyebrows altered considerably during the intervening ten years it is doubtful if it represents Gillray at all. However the original compiler of the eight volumes presumably had good evidence of its authenticity. The prints bound inside are in excellent condition though the colouring differs in general from a similar, slightly more comprehensive set in the British Museum Print Room.

Physical descriptionback to top

Half-length in profile to right, grey hair brushed back and curly at the neck, grey bushy drooping eyebrows, blue eyes; brown coat, yellow waistcoat, white neckcloth and cravat; blue sky and clouds in background.

Provenanceback to top

Eight folio volumes bound in half-morocco, The Works of James Gillray 1756-1815 with bookplates of Ralph Clutton and John Roland Abbey; Thomas Thorp, antiquarian bookseller, and bought from him 1947, listed as NPG 3650.


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 James Gillray