Tate and National Portrait Gallery Acquire Rare William Dobson Self-Portrait for Public Collection
Tate and the National Portrait Gallery have jointly acquired William Dobson’s Self-Portrait c.1635-40, one of the earliest known works by the artist widely considered Britain’s first great painter. The painting is now on free public display at Tate Britain alongside Dobson’s Portrait of the Artist’s Wife c.1635-40 until late 2026, after which it will undertake a national tour before returning to the National Portrait Gallery in 2028. The work, painted on an identically sized canvas to the wife portrait, was made between 1635 and 1640 and shows Dobson with thickly applied paint, wild hair and a direct gaze that broke with 17th-century conventions.
The Signal
The acquisition strengthens the national holdings of English Civil War-era portraiture and ensures the two canvases, separated since 1948, remain accessible together in a room at Tate Britain featuring works by Peter Lely and Godfrey Kneller. Funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and private donors enabled the purchase, reflecting sustained institutional strategy to secure rare British self-portraits for public collections ahead of future display rotations.
- Artists: William Dobson
- Museums: Tate Britain, National Portrait Gallery
- Locations: London
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