Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.9657
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    Portrait of William Clift

    Date
    ca. 1820s
    Sitter
    William Clift (1775 - 1849, British) , Museum curator
    Creator
    Heinrich II Schmidt (1771, German) , Painter
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (painting): 767mm
    width (painting): 640mm
    Subject
    Description
    Half-length portrait of William Clift, seated, his body turned to the right as viewed. His hands are crossed at the wrist, the right hand holding a sheaf of paper. Clift is balding, with long side whiskers. He wears a black coat, waistcoat and tie, with a high-collared white shirt.

    William Clift was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1823.
    Transcription
    CLIFT
    WILLIAM CLIFT, F.R.S. (1775-1849) by H.SCHMIDT
    Object history
    Presented by Mrs Caroline Amelia Owen [nee Clift], 1858.

    The gift of this painting is recorded in the Society’s Council Minutes, on receipt of a letter from Mrs Owen [Caroline Amelia Clift, daughter of William Clift and wife of Richard Owen FRS (1804-1892)]. “Mrs Owen presents her respectful Compliments to the President & Council of the Royal Society, & begs to offer a Portrait of her late father William Clift F.R.S. & to Express the gratification it would afford Professor Owen & herself if it should be deemed worthy of acceptance for the Society. Resolved that the best thanks of the President & Council be returned to Mrs Owen for her highly acceptable gift of the Portrait of our late valued Member.“ [Letter, Caroline Amelia Owen, 8 February 1858, to the Royal Society. Royal Society archives, Miscellaneous Correspondence MC/5/331. Transcribed in Royal Society Council Minutes, Original, CMO/13, meeting of 4 March 1858].
    Associated place
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