1830s Portrait Paintings

Anonymous (English School) Prize Bull Portrait, mid-19th century Oil on canvas, housed in a figured maple frame This striking and endearing portrait of a prize bull stands as a test...

19th Century German School Br: Venus aus Chemnitz 50 Jahre alt 58 24/5 39, 1839 Oil on canvas Signed lower left 25.5 x 20 inches 30.5 x 24.75 inches, framed The gentleman is Johann ...

This early 19th-century oil painting by English artist W.S. Cooper (act. 1832-1834) depicts a bay hunter and groom in a landscape with a hunt beyond. Once hanging in a proud English...

You will find this young man good company! It is a pleasure to study his thoughtful, sensitive face. He has a benevolent and real presence. To my mind, he certainly has an artistic nature - he looks like a thinker, poet and/or musician. Dating from what the French call the Romantic Period, the early 1800s, our painting is monogrammed AG and may be attributed to Auguste Glaize. Born in Montpellier, Auguste Glaize studied under the painters Achille Devéria and Eugène Devéria. He came to be one of the great French Romantic painters of the early 19th century, marking his career with important history paintings and cycles of monumental religious...

This early 19th-century half-length portrait attributed to British artist George Clint ARA (1770-1854) depicts a young lady wearing a beautiful brown dress, bonnet decorated with small flowers, gold earrings and coral necklace. Clint was a distinguished painter and mezzotint engraver predominantly known for portraiture and dramatic scenes. Set before an evocative classically-inspired backdrop, she looks out from across the centuries with a composed demeanour. Adorned in the latest fashions, oversized ‘gigot’ sleeves, a delicately-poised bonnet, and a coral necklace for good luck. It’s a charming portrayal by a masterful hand. Born at Drury Lane, in the heart of London’s West End, George Clint was destined to lead an exuberant life amid the spectacle of theatreland. His father, Michael Clint, was a hairdresser during a time of “hair pomatum, whalebone, wire, lace gauze, and feathers” - so young George would have encountered a variety of ‘characters’ during his childhood. But despite these elevated surroundings, he soon discovered the darker side of London when thrust into the world of employment. Apprenticed initially as a fishmonger, he trained under a ferocious master who was known to beat him. The hours were unsocial, the conditions rank, and the work was brutal. He soon quit but subsequently found himself toiling for a corrupt attorney who demanded he undertake unscrupulous acts on his behalf. Seeking a less volatile role, he turned next to house painting, at which he excelled. Commissioned, among other projects, to paint the stones of the arches in the nave of Westminster Abbey. Aside from an incident whereby he almost fell from the second story of a building, all was going well. Following his marriage in 1792 to Sarah Coxhead, a farmer’s daughter, he began work in earnest as a painter of miniatures, determined to forge a career. Robert William Buss’ memoir celebrates Clint’s success as a miniaturist, stating that “great manual excellence was united with that chaste, delicate feeling for female beauty which characterised all Mr. Clint's portraits of ladies.” Until this point, it appears he was predominantly self-taught, presumably constrained by a lack of finances. But from hereon in, his industrious nature coupled with several fortunate encounters, led to him developing an enviable talent for both painting and engraving. During the early 19th-century, the acquaintances one kept could make or break your fortunes and perhaps acutely aware of this, Clint’s ‘society’ was an ever-evolving circle of influential personalities. He was “initiated into the mysteries of engraving” by Edward Bell (act.1794-1819) and produced numerous works after the foremost artists, such as George Stubbs, John Hoppner, and Thomas Lawrence. Following a commission from Lawrence, he struck up a long-term friendship. Admired for his skill as a mezzotint engraver, he sought next to hone his technique in oils and, as with many aspiring portraitists, his first work in this respect was a depiction of his beloved wife. The pair were both delighted with it, yet over time Clint began to doubt himself and sought the validation of a superior hand - that of Sir William Beechey (1753-1839). However, paralysed with insecurity, he couldn’t face the potential criticism, so his wife took it instead - “with a child under one arm and the portrait in the other”. The result was immeasurably more positive than he’d envisaged and he became closely associated with Beechey until his death in 1839. Numerous commissions followed from the landed gentry including Lord Egremont, Lord Spencer, and Lord Essex. But also from the theatrical community who would fill his studio at 83 Gower Street, Bloomsbury. His connections within the world of acting led to notable works such as ‘Malvolio and Sir Toby’ (from William Shakespeare's 'Twelfth Night', Act II, Scene iii)’ and ‘Harriet Smithson as Miss Dorillon, in Wives as They Were, and Maids as They Are’. While his efforts in mezzotint included several contributions to JMW Turner’s Liber Studiorum. As a measure of his success, Clint was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1821 - a position he later relinquished for personal reasons. Today, he’s represented in numerous public collections including at The British Museum, Harvard Art Museums, The Met, V&A, Yale Center for British Art, and the National Portrait Gallery. “The respect in which he was held, not only by his brother artists, but by an immense number of eminent men in various professions, and others of the highest rank, was the result of a rare combination of talent, candour, suavity of manner, and integrity of purpose”. [Obituary, 1854]. Housed in a period gilt frame, which is probably original. Learn more about George Clint ARA in our directory. Labels & Inscriptions: Supplier’s stencil from Rowney & Forster. The National Portrait Gallery holds a database of supplier’s stencils over the decades. The one here is also presented on two other works by George Clint. ‘Falstaff’s Assignation with Mrs Ford...

Flemish school of the 19th century Armorial portrait of Baron Henri de ROISIN (1787-1846) in the uniform of a general of the gendarmerie (1835) Oil on canvas H. 108 cm; W. 90 cm Bar...

“Orientalist Portrait of an Arab Man” Half-length, turned to the left, oval Jean-Horace Vernet (French 1789-1863) Circa 1830s Watercolor heightened with touches of white on paper Sig...

This exceedingly charming early 19th-century half-length portrait by a follower of Thomas Gainsborough RA FRSA (1727-1788) depicts a lady traditionally identified as ‘Miss Sparrow’. ...

Here is an almost two hundred year old painting which is so irresistibly charming that it's crazy! You may have seen painted landscapes, portraits, genre scenes - but how many pretty...

Portrait of Berthe Thorwaldsen with Bust of Horace Vernet is an original modern artwork realized by the Circle of Horace Vernet (30 June 1789 – 17 Januar...

Portrait of Princess de Joinville riding a Bay Horse Henri d’Aincy, Le Comte Monpezat (French 1817-1859) Painted circa 1837-9 oil on canvas 113 x 92 inches (including frame) 92 x 70 inches (unframed) Provenance – from a private royal collection This magnificent portrait depicts Princess de Joinville, the daughter of Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil and the King of Portugal. Through her illustrious family she was directly related Alexander III and Nicholas II of Russia and the Russian royal family, as well as to many of the great ruling families of Europe. The work clearly confirms Monpezat as one of the most accomplished equestrian portrait painters in France in the early nineteenth century. In terms of scale, quality and dramatic power, it must surely be considered amongst his finest works. The stance of the powerful thoroughbred - in half rear - emphasises the calm nature and courage of the Princess. Francisca of Brazil (1824-98) married a son of Louis Philippe I, the King of the French, and had three children. Born at the Imperial Palace of Saint Christopher, her youngest brother was the future Pedro II...

A black pointer in a woodland landscape by John Frederick Herring Senior, circa 1830. Oil on canvas in a giltwood frame. Provenance: Arthur Ackerman and Son Frost and Reed Blains, Bruton Place, London John Frederick Herring, born in London in 1795, was the son of a London merchant of Dutch parentage, who had been born overseas in America. The first eighteen years of Herring's life were spent in London, where his greatest interests were drawing and horses. In 1814, at the age of 18, he moved to Doncaster in the north of England, and by 1815, had married Ann Harris. His sons John Frederick Herring Jr., Charles Herring, and Benjamin Herring...

Outstanding portrait of two dogs. Sam Spode was an Irish painter of horse and dog portraits from the late 18th century through the early 19th century. His dog portraits are very rar...

William Fisk 1796 -1872, was an English born portrait and history painter. Although born in 1796 he didn't start his artistic career until after 1826, after the birth of his son Will...

Non si tratta di uno studio preliminare al dipinto ma di una ulteriore messa a fuoco della fisionomia stravolta del protagonista, un ‘primo piano’ che ben corrisponde a quanto annota...

Margaret Sarah Carpenter 1793-1872, was an English portrait painter. She was one of the foremost portrait painters in the 19th Century, she ex...

English School, Portrait of a Gentleman, Oil on Canvas, circa 1830, the figure seated in an armchair, unsigned, according to a typed label verso depicting "Lord John H. Morelan(d)", ...

PS 251 Beauty and the Beast The painting features a young woman with striking, vivid features and deep blue hair, holding a small black and tan dachshund. The background is composed...

This fine early 19th-century English oil painting depicts Samuel Jones of Skeyton, Norfolk, smartly attired in a black coat with white cravat. The portrait was previously in the coll...

Portrait French PS 247 Starry Night Diving Portrait of a diving woman dress with a Vincent Van Gogh swimsuit A daring dive in the unknown! This is one of the famous artwork from V...

French artist of the first half 19th century oil painting on canvas, unframed canvas: 12.5 x 9.5 inches provenance: private collection, France condition: overall very good - aging signs...

American School, Portrait of a Woman, Oil on Canvas, 19th century, unsigned, inscribed "J Harrison / 1836" to verso, giltwood frame. Image: 23"H x 19.25" W;...

This early 19th-century central European oil painting depicts Christ The Saviour standing atop an orb and carrying a cross over his left shoulder. An unusual composition, Christ’s rather striking posture is perhaps more ‘Saturday Night Fever’ than it is sacramental. However, the iconography is archaic and derived ultimately from New Testament illustrations dating to the Middle Ages. Depictions of orbs are usually symbolic of the universe, while the cross alludes to redemption. Hence, it’s a visual representation of Christ as the Saviour of humanity. Francisco de Zurbarán...

A nicely detailed American School oil on canvas portrait of a New England manufacturer banker sitting at a desk signing bank notes with a mill in the background, unsigned, and housed...

Antique French painting from the first half of the 19th century. Oil on oak panel artwork of excellent pictorial quality depicting a Neoclassical subject entitled Amintas (Aminta), f...