George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem
- Artist: John Michael Wright
- Date: 1675
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 47 3/4 in. x 39 3/4 in. (1213 mm x 1010 mm)
- Portrays: George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
This is “George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem.” In front of you sits a young lawyer in a stiff chair. He grips a list of debtors with both hands—an early portrait shows him before the trials that would later give him his fame as Judge Jeffreys. The oil on canvas reveals smooth, subtle washes and a calm palette: dark robes, a polished desk, and the faint parchment he holds.
Wright painted this in 1675. Notice the delicate brushwork around the cuffs of the robe and the gentle shadows that lift the figure off the frame. A simple, yet elegant Sunderland‑style gilt oak frame surrounds it, though the exact carver isn’t recorded. The canvas itself measures roughly 47 in by 40 in.
The sitter would later preside over the bloody assizes in 1685, but at this moment he is simply a young lawyer, cataloguing debtors for his master’s book. His portrait tells us that early career was already notable, even before he became Lord Chancellor.
See it in person
George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem 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.
