George Taylor
- Artist: John Bowles
- Artist: Andrew Miller
- Date: circa 1745-1750
- Medium: hand-coloured mezzotint
- Dimensions: Long Term Loan
- Portrays: George Taylor
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This portrait of George Taylor shows him standing in a simple setting, his gaze fixed forward. The face is rendered with careful line work: the eyes are bright and clear, and the mouth gives a quiet smile. The hand‑coloured mezzotint—completed by Andrew Miller—creates soft gradations of tone while John Bowles added subtle touches of colour to bring out the folds of his clothing and a hint of shadow behind him. Taylor, a pugilist and showman born around 1710, appears in his early forties. The print was published between 1745 and 1750, making it one of only four surviving portraits of this figure in the National Portrait Gallery’s collection.
See it in person
George Taylor 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.
