Benjamin Robert Haydon
- Artist: Unknown artist
- Date: circa 1820
- Medium: plaster
- Dimensions: 9 7/8 in. x 6 3/4 in. (250 mm x 170 mm) overall
- Portrays: Benjamin Robert Haydon
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
Before you is a small plaster cast of the face of history painter Benjamin Robert Haydon. You can see fine details: the subtle contour of the forehead, the gentle slope of cheekbones, and a faint smile. A close‑fitting bandage sits on top of his head—protecting the hair while the plaster set. This little piece echoes an early 1820s revival of life masks; artists used them to capture their subjects in three‑dimensional form. In Haydon’s own diary he wrote that the plaster could sometimes distort the likeness. The cast was made by an unknown artist and is now part of the gallery’s Primary Collection.
See it in person
Benjamin Robert Haydon is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
