George Frederic Watts
- Artist: David Wilkie Wynfield
- Date: 1863
- Medium: albumen print
- Dimensions: 8 3/8 in. x 6 3/8 in. (213 mm x 162 mm)
- Portrays: George Frederic Watts
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is an albumen print from 1863 by David Wilkie Wynfield, a close‑up of the celebrated Victorian artist George Frederic Watts. You’ll see his profile in sharp detail, with the light catching the metal collar plate he wears like a knight’s breastplate. The black and white tones give it a crisp, almost painterly quality, as if the image were a drawing brought to life.
Wynfield captured many artists in this series, all in historical costume; here Watts appears in Venetian dress, echoing his own self‑portrait of 1863 where he posed as a medieval knight after battle. He admired Italian Old Masters and often portrayed himself in the style of distinguished Venetians like Titian, so this image is both a likeness and a nod to that tradition.
See it in person
George Frederic Watts is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
