Portrait of Sir Edwin Landseer

Portrait of Sir Edwin Landseer is a portrait painting of 1852 by the British artist Francis Grant depicting his fellow painter Sir Edwin Landseer.^[1]

Portrait of Sir Edwin Landseer
Artist	Francis Grant
Year	1852
Type	Oil on canvas, portrait
Dimensions	290 cm × 227 cm (114.3 in × 89.2 in)
Location	National Portrait Gallery, London

History and description

Landseer was noted for his paintings featuring animals.^[2] His portrait by Grant was commissioned by the shipbuilder and art collector William Wells, who was a friend of Landseer and owned a number of his works.^[3] Grant was a leading portraitist of the early Victorian era and went on to serve as President of the Royal Academy, after Landseer had turned down the position.^[4] He may have changed his original conception of the painting during the preparation. An earlier version shows Landseer standing by an easel holding a palette to emphasise his profession as an artist. In contrast, the conventional stance of the final work more closely resembles that of a businessman.^[5]

The painting was exhibited at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition of 1855. Today it is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, having been presented by the Marquis de Rochefort-Luçay in 1890.^[6]