John Samuel Hudson

During 1810 George Engleheart painted 61 miniatures earning reputedly just under £1,000 (equating to just over £100,000 today!). Amongst them was a portrait of Queen Charlotte for the Persian Ambassador, a family portrait of his daughter Emma and this portrait of John Samuel Hudson. Engleheart was at the height of his fame having by then been running his London studio for 35 years making him the natural choice for a wealthy professional gentleman like Hudson to commission his portrait from. And Engleheart did not disappoint with this masterful portrait.

Born in 1775, John Samuel Hudson grew up at Wanlip Hall near Leicester with his seven (mostly all older) siblings. His parents were Charles Grave Hudson and Catharine Susannah Palmer. Charles was a Director of the South Sea Company with interests in slave plantations in Suriname but most of the family’s wealth came through his mother’s side of the family.

John Samuel trained in the law and held a prominent position as a barrister at the Inner Temple. He did not marry until 1822 when he was 46. His bride, also aged 46, was Maria Allen originally from Somerset. The couple set up home on the south side of Wimbledon Common in a 12-bedroomed house with a 4-acre garden and a 13-acre meadow. They had no children. John Samuel died in his 57th year. Maria continued to live in the Wimbledon mansion with a couple of her nieces for company and a battalion of servants. She was 90 when she died in 1866.

The portrait is signed bottom right with the artist’s cursive E and again in full on the reverse ‘Geo Engleheart / Hertford Street Mayfair / Pinxit / 1810’. It is housed in the original gold frame, the reverse glazed to show the signature with an additional hand-written note placed under the glass in 1866 (the year Hudson’s widow died).

Despite his heavy workload during the last years of his artistic career, Engleheart never let the quality of his work slip, each portrait being exceptionally well finished. Hudson would surely have been very satisfied with his likeness.

Ivory Exemption Ref.: AUB7LFBK