Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
- Artist: Francis Cruikshank
- Date: circa 1855-1859
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 19 3/8 in. x 15 5/8 in. (494 mm x 397 mm)
- Portrays: Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
In this oil portrait on canvas, Francis Cruikshank renders Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston between 1855 and 1859. The sitter sits centered; his face is lit from the left, showing a calm expression beneath formal attire—a dark coat with polished buttons and a subtle hat or brim—typical of a prime minister’s portrait. Cruikshank’s brushwork brings light to cheekbones and folds in the robe. The canvas measures roughly 20 by 16 inches. In the National Portrait Gallery this work celebrates Palmerston’s twice‑served premiership, his reforms on voting rights and vaccination, and his 1861 annexation of Lagos aimed at ending slave traffic.
See it in person
Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston 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.
