John Russell R.A. 1745-1806

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Description

John Russell R.A.
Self-portrait, a pencil in his right hand
signed in pencil u.r.: J Russell R.A. / 1794
pastel, in an eighteenth century carved wood frame
60.6 by 45.4 cm., 23 7/8 by 17 7/8 in.

Provenance

By descent from the artist to Thomas Russell;
Francis H. Webb; the artist's great grandson, (by 1894);
by family descent

Literature

George C. Williamson, John Russell R.A., 1894, p. 169

Catalogue Note

The present work is one of five known pastel self-portraits by John Russell. Russell depicts himself aged forty-nine as an accomplished artist. This confident depiction of himself was perhaps justified as Russell had enjoyed a successful career.

Originally tutored by Francis Cotes (1726–1770), he first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1769 and he continued to send pictures there annually until his death in 1806. Success came early to Russell. In 1770, aged only twenty-five, he won the Royal Academy's Gold Medal for a Portrait of George Whitefield (National Portrait Gallery, London).

In 1788 Russell was elected a full member of the Royal Academy. The following year, possibly as a result of his successful portrayal of the King's physician Dr Willis, Queen Charlotte and her family, he was appointed Portrait Painter in crayons to the King, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke of York.