James Figg
- Artist: George Smeeton
- Date: 1812
- Medium: hand-coloured stipple
- Dimensions: Long Term Loan
- Portrays: James Figg
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
In this portrait you see a young prize‑fighter in the classic early‑19th‑century pose: head turned slightly to the left, eyes focused, beard neatly trimmed. The image is drawn with fine stipple lines that give his face and hands texture, then hand‑coloured to add subtle shading—an example of the delicate printing technique of the time. It was published by George Smeeton in Boxiana on 25 July 1812, a printer and publisher known for producing about forty‑three portraits. This work shows James Figg (1684–1734) in one of three surviving likenesses of the boxer.
See it in person
James Figg 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.
