James Northcote
- Artist: James Northcote
- Date: 1784
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 29 in. x 24 in. (737 mm x 610 mm)
- Portrays: James Northcote
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is a portrait of the artist himself, painted in 1784 as an oil on canvas from London. You’ll notice him in profile, holding a palette and brushes in one hand while raising the other to his forehead – a gesture that was very popular in Romantic portraiture to signal that inspiration comes from intellect. The details are carefully rendered: the paint tubes, the brush bristles, the subtle play of light on his face. Northcote was a pupil of Sir Joshua Reynolds and later wrote Reynolds’ memoirs; he had spent five years in Reynolds’ studio. At this time the Royal Academy celebrated history painting as the pinnacle of artistic achievement, and Northcote’s self‑portrait reflects that ambition, tying him to biblical, historical or narrative scenes. The work was added to the collection in 1945.
See it in person
James Northcote 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.
