Portrait of Clarkson Stanfield

Portrait of Clarkson Stanfield is an 1829 portrait painting by the British artist John Simpson depicting his fellow painter Clarkson Stanfield. Stanfield, a former sailor, was noted for his maritime paintings.^[1] The following year he enjoyed his breakthrough with Mount St Michael, Cornwall leading to commissions from William IV. ^[2] Before this he has been known for his set designs at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.^[3]

Portrait of Clarkson Stanfield
Artist	John Simpson
Year	1829
Type	Oil on canvas, portrait painting
Dimensions	76 cm × 63.5 cm (30 in × 25.0 in)
Location	National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

Simpson had been a pupil of Thomas Lawrence, the leading British portraitist of the Regency era, and was a friend or Stanfield. The painting was commissioned by the politician and art collector George Watson-Taylor. The work was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1830 at Somerset House. Today the painting is in the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich.^[4] Simpson produced two other portraits of Stanfield, one of which is now in the National Portrait Gallery. In 1834 the engraver William Say produced a mezzotint based on this version. ^[5]