Royal Pharmaceutical Society

The reason Francis Wyburd painted one of the portraits of a past president was not because he needed the money. He was asked by a friend (Hills) who wanted to pay tribute to his friend Morson (the past president) who had just died and commissioned Francis to do a portrait which was gifted to the Society. This is all reported in Anthony Morson''s book Operative Chymist.

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society

I was browsing a book in the Tate Gallery bookshop when I came across a reference to FjW having been commissiond by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. And sure enough, he painted two of their presidents and the portraits hang in their boardroom at their Lambeth Bridge Road, London headquarters.

My quest

Francis John Wyburd is a name I share with my great great grandfather. He was a Victorian painter of some modest renown whose works still manage to command both collectors' interest and their cash, even today. As a result, his work has become scattered around the world oer the past century and is to be found in museums and private collections from the US to Australia and who knows where else.

My family does not seem to have a record of his work (although various members of the family have some of his pieces), so I wondered whether the internet age would help me bulld up a comprehensive record of my own.

This blog details my progress in tracking down his pictures.