Oil painting depicting a self-portrait of the artist John Jackson. Great Britain, early 19th century.

A self-portrait in oil of the artist, John Jackson

Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857

Given by John Sheepshanks, 1857

Extract from Parkinson, Ronald, Catalogue of British Oil Paintings 1820-1860. Victoria & Albert Museum, HMSO, London, 1990. p.xviii.

John Sheepshanks (1784-1863) was the son of a wealthy cloth manufacturer. He entered the family business, but his early enthusiasms were for gardening and the collecting of Dutch and Flemish prints. He retired from business at the age of 40, by which time he had begun collecting predominantly in the field of modern British art. He told Richard Redgrave RA, then a curator in the South Kensington Museum (later the V&A) of his intention to give his collection to the nation. The gallery built to house the collection was the first permanent structure on the V&A site, and all concerned saw the Sheepshanks Gift as forming the nucleus of a National Gallery of British Art. Sheepshanks commissioned works from contemporary artists, bought from the annual RA summer exhibitions, but also bought paintings by artists working before Queen Victoria ascended the throne in 1837. The Sheepshanks Gift is the bedrock of the V&A's collection of British oil paintings, and served to encourage many other collectors to make donations and bequests.

Historical significance: Born in Lastingham, North Yorkshire, John Jackson (1787-1831) was first apprenticed to his father as a tailor. His early training as a painter is unknown but it is thought that Jackson received instruction in art from a local school master. He is documented as painting miniatures in York which were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1804. In the same year he was able to enter the Royal Academy Schools through the patronage of Henry Phipps, 1st Earl of Mulgrave (1755-1831) and patron of the arts Sir George Beaumont, Bart (1753-1827). There he became friends with Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846) and David Wilkie (1785-1841). He was elected ARA in 1815 and RA in 1817. He travelled to the Netherlands in 1816 and to Switzerland and Rome in 1819 with the sculptor and painter Sir Francis Chantrey (1781-1841). He became a prolific portrait painter. His portraits combine strong applications of paint to create striking likenesses, reflecting the influence of Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) and Henry Raeburn (1756-1823). This interest in portraying individual likenesses has been linked to Jackson’s adherence of Methodism. In fact one of the first portraits he painted was of the Church of England clergyman and founder of Methodism, John Wesley (1703-1791), now untraced.

In this half length self-portrait the artist is shown against a dark background turning and looking out at the spectator. Close examination of the painting reveals that it was originally conceived in an oval format. It has later been painted to make it rectangular. In his left hand Jackson holds a palette and three brushes to convey his profession.

This is one of a series of self portraits by Jackson, the earliest of which has been dated by Dr. Morgan to circa 1808. In FA.84 the artist is shown in a high collared brown velvet jacket, white shirt, stock and frill. He is clean shaven and his hair is slightly unkempt. The clothes and hair style date the portrait to circa 1810. This date is supported by Richard Walker in his entry on the artist's self portrait in the National Portrait Gallery (inventory number 434; see Walker, p. 277). The self portrait in the National Portrait Gallery, dated circa 1823, follows the composition of that in the V&A. In both these works the artist is placed against a dark background in profile turning to look out over his left shoulder at the audience, holding a palette in his hand. A comparison of these portraits shows that the sitter looks younger in FA.84 than that in the National Portrait Gallery. This younger appearance of the sitter in FA.84 supports the proposed earlier date of the portrait to circa 1810. The pose of the sitter in both these works, looking out directly at the viewer, suggests Jackson's confidence. This sense of self assurance is continued in the rich fabrics of velvet which reflect John Jackson's prosperity as a portrait painter.

There is no record of this portrait having been exhibited at the Royal Academy. The only work that is possibly a self portrait exhibited by the artist at the Royal Academy is "Portrait of an artist", exhibited in 1818 number 160 (see Graves and note on object file). As Jackson painted a number of self portraits it is difficult to establish whether this is the one in the V&A. Considering the clothes of the sitter and his age in FA.84 it seems unlikely that the V&A self-portrait is the "Portrait of an artist" exhibited at the RA in 1818. Jackson’s portraits demonstrate an interest in capturing the likeness of his sitters, these self-portraits were a means for the artist to develop his observational skills.

References:

Graves, A., The Royal Academy of Arts: A Complete Dictionary of Contributors and their work from its foundation in 1769 to 1904, vol. II, p. 226.

Walker, R. Regency Portraits, London, 1985, p.277.

FA.84[O]