Portraits of Butler

• A. attributed to William FAYRAM c. 1730 100 x 75 HL to front with dwhite wig, bands and gown, 1h resting on an upright blue book on a table to the r.; inscribed above: The Revd. Ioseph Butler Bishop of Durham/when Young. Exh. NPE 1867 (287); engr. by R. Cooper 1816.
  Auckland Castle, Durham; acquired by 1816. [Saw in the hall at Auckland]
  [Reproduced in Richard Garnett, Hist of Eng Lit (1903) 3:360
• B. John VANDERBANK 1732 HL to r. with fair wig, gown and bands, 1h on r. wrist, rh resting on a table to the l.; i a drape behind with a column to the r.
  • 1 c. 86 x 69; engr. by Dean 1839 With John Butler of Kirby House, 1839 (T. Bartlett, Memoirs of Joseph Butler, 1839, p. 278; i Speeches, p.5).
  • 2 46 x 30.5 Auckland Castle, Durham [Staff unable to locate]
  • 3 [Bristol Cathedral, saw in office]
    [Reproduced in Bartlett (1839)]
    This type is closely comparable with Vanderbank's portrait of Bishop Benson, q.v., also dated 1732
    Vanderbank. Portrait (40 yrs.) in Bartlett. "oval face, regular features, an expanded forehead, strong eyebrows, and large full eyes, weaving, in a very remarkable degree, an expression of abstraction, as though the mind was otherwise engaged than in looking through them." QR (1839)
    Portrait at Magdalen College, Oxford, 72 x 58, BLO to l. in gown and bands
    (Poole, 2, p. 228, no. 61, illus. Historical Portraits, 3, f.p. 90) seems doubtfully identified.
• C UNKNOWN c. 1738-50 miniature ivory about 6 x 4 TQL seated to l., rh holding tippet, lh on chair arm, a drape to the r.
  Auckland Castle, Durham. [Auckland warden never heard of, could not find]
• D Thomas HUDSON c. 1740 TQL standing to l. cap in rh, lh by side.
  • 1 with John Butler of Kirby House in 1839, by descent from the sitter's nephew, the Rev. Joseph Butler, for whom the portrait was painted 'soon after Butler was made Bishop of Bristol' (Bartlett, p. 278; Speeches, p. 6).
  • 2 137 x 116 copy by Tuttle 1886. Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut; presented by Dr. Pynchon who comissioned it, 1886 (Speeches).
• E Mr TAYLOR of Durham 1750-2 WL seated to l., grey wig, rh holding cap on knees, lh on chair arm, bookshelves to the r., a crimson drape to the l.
  • 1 234 x 147 exh. NPE 1867 (395); engr. by J. Fittler 1820. Newcastle Infirmary; presented by Mr Taylor 1754. [Saw in hospital board room. The elevation of Newcastle is clearly visible, but the cap is not. The "crimson" drapes look more velvet and matches the cushion]
  • 2 224 x 140 copy by M.E. Hastings. Oriel College, Oxford; presented by Robert Ingham 1827 (Poole, 2, p. 87, no. 24). [Saw]
  • 3 101 x 76 TQL version, holding elevation of Newcastle Infirmary in rh. Auckland Castle, Durham. [Saw in the hall at Auckland]
  • 4 101 x 76 as 3. Durham Castle, University of Durham. [Saw in 1986]
  • 5 76 x 63 BLO version inscribed top l.: The Right Revd. Joseph Butler/Lord Bishop of Durham/Died June 16th 1752/Aged 60. Durham Cathedral Library. [Temporarily taken down, but shown by Roger Norris] The head of this type is similar to that of D above.

"When James Barry, the historical painter whom Burke patronized and had educated in Italy, showed signs of wavering in religious fidelity, Burke `put into his hands and strongly recommended him to read' Butler's Analogy. Barry was so impressed by the character of Butler that he placed him in the group of divines in his picture of `Elysium.'" Mossner (1936) 189

"His mother being a zealous Catholic, the son could not avoid mixing at times in the company of priests resident at Cork, who pointed out to him books of polemical divinity, of which he became a great reader, and for which he retained a strong bias during his lifetime. He was said at one time to have been destined for the priesthood, but for this report there is no authority. He, however, always continued a Catholic, and in the decline of life manifested rather a bigoted attachment to the religion of his early choice. For a short interval he had a little wavering in his belief of revealed religion in general; but a conversation with Mr. Edmund Burke put an end to this levity. A book which Mr. Burke lent him, and which settled his mind on this subject, was Bishop Butler's Analogy; and, as a suitable reward, he has placed this Prelate in the group of divines, in his picture of Elysium."