Charles Dickens
- Artist: Ary Scheffer
- Date: 1855
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 37 1/8 in. x 24 3/4 in. (943 mm x 629 mm)
- Portrays: Charles Dickens
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is a portrait of Charles Dickens painted by the Dutch‑born French artist Ary Scheffer in 1855. The oil on canvas shows the novelist in a thoughtful pose, hands resting lightly, his gaze turned toward the viewer. Scheffer worked slowly; Dickens sat several times while he was under pressure from new novels like *Little Dorrit*. The frame is simple yet elegant, with horizontal banding that echoes early Whistler frames and hints at Scheffer’s preference for classical ornament. Painted in Paris during a brief stay, this work captures the novelist’s self‑portrait as seen by a contemporary artist of international reputation.
See it in person
Charles Dickens 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.
