Chant, James John (1819/20-c.1876; English), after Buckner, Richard (1812-83; English) (?)
His Excellency Sir William Thomas Denison… 1863
Mezzotint, 73.3 x 46.8 cm (plate mark)
Date of acquisition uncertain (by 1894)
State Library of Victoria (H5270)
The 1894 and 1905 NGV catalogues each list two portraits of Denison, who succeeded Fitzroy (see Bellin after Buckner Sir Charles Fitzroy {1872} SLV [PR]) as NSW Governor (1855-61), after having served as governor of Tasmania from 1846 to 1855. One of these works clearly formed part of the “Oval portrait” series (no.30 or 32).
The other was presumably the present print, although the State Library catalogue lists it as accessioned only in 1934, and describes it as based on a painting by a certain W.M. Tweedle (perhaps a copyist?). But the image seems closely related to Buckner’s portrait at Government House, Sydney, noted by the State Library as the source of Melbourne’s oval portrait of Denison (SLV H1527).
Refs.
NGV 1894 (V.Buvelot Gallery, 1st bay, no.29 or 58); NGV 1905 (V.Buvelot Gallery, no.30 or 32)
See SLV catalogue, for details noted above. Chant’s dates are given as shown here in both AKL 18 (1998), p.173, and http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/mp53081/james-john-chant; cf. Bénézit 3, p.752 (indicating that he was born in 1820.
For Buckner, see linked artist entry. Nothing appears to be known about Tweedle