Charles Dickens, 1839

Charles Dickens (1812–1870) was one of the greatest and most famous novelists of his age. A prolific writer, he established his name with The Pickwick Papers (1836–37) and went on to write fifteen novels. These include some of the best-known works in the English language such as Oliver Twist (1837–39), A Christmas Carol (1843) and Great Expectations (1860–61). He was unique among novelists of his day as he was a brilliant performer of his works, and his speaking tours in Britain and the United States were hugely successful.

Dickens met the artist Daniel Maclise in 1838 and they became close friends. In a letter dated 28 June 1839, Dickens wrote that ‘Maclise has made another face of me, which all people say is astonishing’. In cultivating his image, Dickens assumes the role of dandy and man of letters, clothed in a pristine wide-collared black coat and waistcoat, trousers with foot-straps to preserve an unwrinkled line over his boots, and an elegant black satin diamond-studded cravat. An engraving of the portrait was used as the frontispiece to the first book edition of Dickens’ third novel Nicholas Nickleby (1839), and the work was exhibited at the Royal Academy, helping to consolidate the young author’s fame.

National Portrait Gallery, London. Transferred from Tate Gallery, 2015
© National Portrait Gallery, London