Name/TitlePortrait of Arctic explorer William Edward Parry
About this objectPortrait of the English rear-admiral and Arctic explorer Sir William Edward Parry (1790-1855). Parry commanded several expeditions in search of the Northwest Passage, making many important discoveries in the Arctic region. His last expedition took him to New South Wales as commissioner of the Australian Agricultural Company with the object of finding better grazing land for fine-wool sheep. Parry remained in Australia for five years, returning to England in 1834.
The portrait and history painter John Lewis Reilly painted this portrait after a work by Stephen Pearce who is known for his Arctic explorer portraits, the most famous of which is “The Arctic Council planning a search for Sir John Franklin”. Reilly exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1857 to 1866. In addition to painting portraits from life, he also produced copies of historic portraits including a version of Velasquez’s Philip IV in the Frick collection.
Oil painting by John L. Reilly on Winsor & Newton prepared millboard, inscribed on reverse with the names of the sitter, Reilly and Pearce.
MakerJohn Lewis Reilly - Artist
Maker RoleArtist
Date Madec1860
Period19th century
Place MadeLondon, United Kingdom
Medium and MaterialsOil paint, prepared millboard, later gold frame
Measurements380mm x 270mm
Object TypeEuropean Portraits
Object numberSF001001
Copyright Licence
Attribution - Non-commercial - No Derivatives (cc)
Explore by category
Maps and Charts
Date range: 1541-1836
Ship Models
Date range: 1629-1890
Maritime Paintings
Date range: 1793-1849
Manuscripts and Ephemera
Date range: 1768-c1850
Medallions & Convict Tokens
Date range: 1619-1880
Indigenous History
Date range: c1800-1959
Landscapes
Date range: 1768-c1850
Books
Date range: 1694-c1850
Currency and Shares
Date range: 1624-1823
Printed Material
Date range: 1541-1836
Maritime Archaeology
Date range: 1629-1854
Curator's corner
New acquisitions, staff favourites and curios
The mug is decorated with an underglaze and a blue transfer print. On the body, it is titled ‘Emigrants to Australia’. This type of body and glaze was discontinued by 1840. Comparison of the handle shape and the profile of the foot, point to the attribution of manufacture by the Davenport Factory.
Delta was a ship-rigged vessel with two decks and three masts. It was built in Dordrecht, Netherlands in 1839 at the shipyard of Jan Schouten and registered in the same port. Its hull was constructed of oak and sheathed in ‘yellow metal’. Delta was owned by H. van der Sande at the time of its loss and was engaged as a cargo trader.
The Delta carried 29 crew and passengers, while sailing from Melbourne to Batavia in ballast when wrecked at Kenn Reefs on 30 May 1854 whilst under the command of Captain J.G. Kunst. This vessel loss supports the pattern of shipwrecks located on a well-travelled shipping route that was poorly charted until the mid-nineteenth century. The crew of the Delta could see four other shipwrecks at Kenn Reefs at the time of their vessel’s loss.
Important image of a ship associated with Matthew Flinders, that would shortly become one of the most famous early shipwrecks in eastern Australian waters. This is a fine ship’s portrait, by one of the great exponents of the art