Portrait of Daniel Lysons
- Artist: Tilly Kettle
- Date: 1759
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the Portrait of Daniel Lysons by Tilly Kettle. The canvas shows Lysons in the full, black robes of a Doctor of Civil Law, a title he earned from Oxford in 1759. He’s also a licensed physician—after his studies he practiced in Gloucester and Bath, bringing a scholarly and medical gravitas to the portrait.
Notice the iris he holds. In the 18th‑century, extracts from this plant were commonly used to treat gout and joint pain, so the flower hints at his medical interests. The brushwork is loose yet controlled; Kettle’s early style already hints at the vibrant palette he would use in India, where his later double portrait was painted.
The painting, executed in 1759, is oil on canvas, a medium that gives the sitter’s skin a soft luminosity and the robes a rich, velvety depth. Kettle captures Lysons’ attentive expression, perhaps reflecting the careful scrutiny required of both a lawyer and a doctor. It’s an intimate snapshot of a man standing at the intersection of law, medicine, and the scientific curiosity of his time.
See it in person
Portrait of Daniel Lysons hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
