Matthew Baillie (1761–1823), F.R.S., after Hoppner

The Artist: Bone was born in Truro, Cornwall, the son of a cabinetmaker. He was apprenticed as a china painter, but after the failure of the Bristol factory where he was working, he settled in London about 1779. The greater part of his output consisted of copies in enamel of old master and contemporary paintings, but he painted a few portraits ad vivum. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1781 until 1834 and was named a royal academician in 1811. He served as enamel painter to George III, George IV, and William IV, and he often incorporated references to these and similar appointments in the lengthy inscriptions he wrote in the enamel on the back of his miniatures. He died in London.

The Miniature: Matthew Baillie was born in Lanarkshire. He was the nephew and heir of Dr. William Hunter (1718–1783), anatomist and surgeon-accoucheur, and himself made many contributions to the study of morbid anatomy. He was physician extraordinary to George III (1738–1820). He inherited William Hunter's Museum, now the Hunterian Art Gallery in Glasgow.

This miniature was painted for Baillie’s wife, Sophia, née Denman. The painting by John Hoppner (1758–1810) from which it is copied is in the Royal College of Physicians, London. The National Portrait Gallery, London, has Bone's squared pencil drawing, inscribed Dr Baillie after Hoppner for Mrs B—Jany 1810 (Walker 1999, no. 22). Walker lists a second enamel in the Royal College of Physicians, inscribed but not dated.

[2016; adapted from Reynolds and Baetjer 1996]

Inscription: Inscribed (reverse, in pink on bluish-white enamel): Mathew Baillie M.D. / Born October 27th. 1761. / London / July, 1817. / Painted by Henry Bone RA. / Enamel painter in Ordinary to / His Majesty, & Enamel painter / to His R.H. the Prince Regent, / after the Original by John Hoppner / R.A.

Mary Clark Thompson, New York and Canandaigua, N.Y. (until d. 1923)

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "European Miniatures in The Metropolitan Museum of Art," November 5, 1996–January 5, 1997, no. 224.

Graham Reynolds with the assistance of Katharine Baetjer. European Miniatures in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1996, pp. 10, 14, 173–74, no. 224, ill. p. 175, state that the portrait by Hoppner after which this miniature is copied is now in the Hunterian Art Gallery, Glasgow; add that a squared pencil drawing of the composition by Bone is in the National Portrait Gallery, London, and that it includes an inscription indicating that the miniature was painted for Baillie's wife.

Richard Walker. "Henry Bone's Pencil Drawings in the National Portrait Gallery." Walpole Society 61 (1999), p. 313, under no. 22, states that Hoppner's original is in the Royal College of Physicians, London, and lists a second enamel by Bone there as well.