Thomas Smith, Esq., Vice Admiral of the White

Thomas Smith, Esq., Vice Admiral of the White
Thomas Smith, Esq., Vice Admiral of the White
Thomas Smith, Esq., Vice Admiral of the White
National Portrait Gallery, London
title=Credit line
Artist
John Faber the Younger (c.1684-1756) after Wilson
Title
Thomas Smith, Esq., Vice Admiral of the White
Date
1746
Medium
Mezzotint
Dimensions
Metric: 361 x 261 mm (paper)
Imperial: 14 1/4 x 10 1/4 in. (paper)
Accession Number
NPG D4256
Wilson Online Reference
E1C
Description
Three-quarter length portait of Thomas Smith Esq. standing leaning with his left elbow on the base of a broken column, holding a telescope in front of him, left knee bent and advanced, right hand on hip. He is wearing a coat with large decorations around the buttons, open over a silk jacket and a long wig. There are distant sails in the background to the left.
Signature/inscription
Lettered with title, 'Thomas Smith Esq. [continuing] Vice Admiral of ye White / Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Ships on the Coast of Scotland, Anno 1746', a heraldic achievement with the motto 'Ung Dieu et Ung Roy', and 'R. Wilson pinxt. / I. Faber fecit / Price 2s. London. Price 2s. London, Printed for R. Sayer, I. Ryal & R.Withy in Fleet Street'
Versions
See 'Links' tab
Critical commentary
The sitter's great-nephew, John Thomas Smith, Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum, mentions 'a spirited half-length portrait, painted by the celebrated Richard Wilson [...] from which picture there is an excellent engraving in mezzotinto, by Faber.' (see bibliography).
Bibliography
J.T. Smith, A Book for a Rainy Day, 1845, pp. 3-4; Chaloner Smith, vol. 1, p. 426, cat. 333; Russell p. 96, cat. 333, state V; sale cat., The Lyttelton Papers, Sotheby's London, 12 December 1978 p. 101 (cat. 79)