Thomas Carlyle: Historian of Heroes

Small display at the National Portrait Gallery looking at Thomas Carlyle whose lecture series in 1846 contributed to the founding of the gallery as it called on influential figures to sit for the leading artists of the time.

There was a nice variation of work from a photograph by Julia Margaret Cameron to an affectionate sketch by Sir George Scharf, the first director of the gallery. However I am not sure if gave a sense of the man, I just got an picture of a generic of Victorian old gentleman not a particular character.

It might also have helped to give a pointer to his oil portrait round the corner with the other Watt’s Hall of Fame pictures.

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