Portrait of Thomas Hudson

Meet the 100 Most Famous Paintings by Thomas Hudson

Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 299 works by Thomas Hudson in our catalogue

In short

If you know one Thomas Hudson painting, it's probably Sir Peter Warren, which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery, London. John Newton (1757) and The Thistlethwayte Family (1758) round out the three pieces people recognise right away. Our catalogue has 299 works by Thomas Hudson. Below are the 100 people know best, each with its year, where to find it and what makes it special.

1701 – 1779, Devon Neoclassicism Most works: Yale Center for British Art

Start here: the top 10 Thomas Hudson paintings

1
Sir Peter Warren by Thomas Hudson

Sir Peter Warren

Acrylic On Canvas · National Portrait Gallery, London

A Portrait of Power: Sir Peter Warren by Thomas Hudson This striking portrait offers a compelling glimpse into the world of 18th-century British naval and colonial power. Painted by the esteemed English portraitist Thomas Hudson, this artwork captures Sir Peter Warren, a figure of significant historical importance, with an air of authority and refined elegance. The composition is masterful in its balance and formality, characteristic of the period’s artistic conventions.…

2
John Newton (1757) by Thomas Hudson

John Newton

1757 · Oil On Canvas · Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

In this 1757 portrait, Thomas Hudson captures a man of significant social standing through a disciplined, three-quarter length composition. The subject is positioned slightly off-center, a choice that lends a sense of movement to an otherwise formal arrangement. Light enters from the upper left, casting deliberate shadows across the face and creating sharp highlights on the metallic embroidery of the waistcoat. This directional lighting emphasizes the three-dimensional depth of the…

3
The Thistlethwayte Family (1758) by Thomas Hudson

The Thistlethwayte Family

1758 · Oil On Canvas · Yale Center for British Art, New Haven

The Thistlethwayte Family emerges from the brush of Thomas Hudson, a painter who captures a moment of poised familial unity. Created about 1758, this oil on canvas brings the inhabitants of Southwick Park into view. The scene centers on Alexander Thistlethwayte, a Member of Parliament from Hampshire, who stands with a quiet, dignified presence. Beside him, his wife Sarah Thistlethwayte occupies the space, her presence lending a sense of grace…

4
Princess Amelia Sophia Eleonore of Great Britain (1745) by Thomas Hudson

Princess Amelia Sophia Eleonore of Great Britain

1745 · Oil On Canvas · Yale Center for British Art, New Haven

The subject is positioned in a three-quarter view, standing against a soft, atmospheric landscape. She wears a dark navy blue military-style jacket, characterized by horizontal gold braided trim, known as frogging, which creates a rhythmic pattern across her torso. A white lace cravat is visible at her neck, providing a sharp contrast to the deep tones of her garment. The fabric of the jacket appears heavy, suggesting the texture of…

5
Portrait of a Lady with her daughter (1750) by Thomas Hudson

Portrait of a Lady with her daughter

1750 · Oil On Canvas · Museo del Prado, Madrid

The scene unfolds in the 18th century through the brush of Thomas Hudson, who captures a quiet, intimate moment in Portrait of a Lady with her daughter. This oil on canvas work brings a mother and her child into the present, freezing a connection that speaks of lineage and the weight of social status. The figures exist within a space that feels both private and formal, as if we have…

6
John Van der Wall (1745) by Thomas Hudson

John Van der Wall

1745 · Oil On Canvas · Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago

A young man occupies the center of this 1745 oil on canvas, captured in a three-quarter length pose that suggests both poise and aristocratic intent. He is dressed in the structured fashion of the mid-18th century, wearing a shimmering gold and brown doublet paired with a heavy red cloak that drapes across the composition. A crisp white lace collar provides a sharp point of light near his face, drawing the…

7
Portrait of a Woman, Probably Elizabeth Aislabie, of Studley Royal, Yorkshire (1749) by Thomas Hudson

Portrait of a Woman, Probably Elizabeth Aislabie, of Studley Royal, Yorkshire

1749 · Oil On Canvas · Yale Center for British Art, New Haven

In the "Portrait of a Woman, Probably Elizabeth Aislabie, of Studley Royal, Yorkshire" by Thomas Hudson, the sitter is captured in a three-quarter view. She faces slightly toward the viewer, her presence anchored against a dark, atmospheric background. To the left, a deep, dramatic red drapery cuts through the shadows. This heavy weight of color balances the shimmering silvery-white and pale blue tones of her satin gown. The fabric catches…

8
Mrs. John Wendt (1745) by Thomas Hudson

Mrs. John Wendt

1745 · Oil On Canvas · Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn

The portrait titled Mrs. John Wendt is an oil on canvas painted by the British artist Thomas Hudson. Created about 1745, the work captures a moment of quiet poise. Hudson, who lived from 1701 to 1779, rendered the subject with the steady hand of a man accustomed to the high society of his era.

More Thomas Hudson favourites, 11 to 100

11Portrait of Diana, Countess of Mountrath (1696-1766), Wife of the 6th Earl (1746) by Thomas HudsonPortrait of Diana, Countess of Mountrath (1696-1766), Wife of the 6th Earl1746 · National Gallery of Ireland 12The Hon. Mary Venables Vernon, later Mrs George (Adams) Anson (1739-1843), as a Girl (1747) by Thomas HudsonThe Hon. Mary Venables Vernon, later Mrs George (Adams) Anson (1739-1843), as a Girl1747 · Sudbury Hall 13Young Women with a Lamb (1745) by Thomas HudsonYoung Women with a Lamb1745 · Yale Center for British Art 14Portrait of Jozef van Aken (1745) by Thomas HudsonPortrait of Jozef van Aken1745 15Alexander Courthope of Sprivers (1697 - 1779) (1758) by Thomas HudsonAlexander Courthope of Sprivers (1697 - 1779)1758 16George Frederick Handel (1685-1759) (1756) by Thomas HudsonGeorge Frederick Handel (1685-1759)1756 · Royal Collection 17Admiral Sir Peter Warren by Thomas HudsonAdmiral Sir Peter WarrenNational Maritime Museum 18Portrait Of Sir John Willes by Thomas HudsonPortrait Of Sir John WillesNational Portrait Gallery 19William Boyce by Thomas HudsonWilliam Boyce 20Miss Ashton by Thomas HudsonMiss AshtonDetroit Institute of Arts 21Jonathan Belcher (1681/82-1757) by Thomas HudsonJonathan Belcher (1681/82-1757)Harvard Art Museums 22Miss Alicia Macartney by Thomas HudsonMiss Alicia MacartneyMuseum of Fine Arts 23Mary Ffolkes, nee Browne  (1721–73) by Thomas HudsonMary Ffolkes, nee Browne (1721–73) 24Herring by Thomas HudsonHerring 25Herring by Thomas HudsonHerring 26Theodore Jacobsen by Thomas HudsonTheodore Jacobsen 27John Tuckfield by Thomas HudsonJohn Tuckfield 28John Milner by Thomas HudsonJohn Milner 29George Ii by Thomas HudsonGeorge Ii 30Etheldred Payne by Thomas HudsonEtheldred Payne 31Anne, Countess Of Northampton by Thomas HudsonAnne, Countess Of Northampton 32Mrs Sarah Ingram by Thomas HudsonMrs Sarah Ingram 33Sir Thomas Smith by Thomas HudsonSir Thomas Smith 34John Dryden by Thomas HudsonJohn Dryden 35Marshall Swayne, Mayor Of Barnstaple by Thomas HudsonMarshall Swayne, Mayor Of Barnstaple 36Matthew Rock, Mayor Of Barnstaple by Thomas HudsonMatthew Rock, Mayor Of Barnstaple 37Reverend Samuel Thompson, Vicar Of Barnstaple by Thomas HudsonReverend Samuel Thompson, Vicar Of Barnstaple 38John Tuckfield by Thomas HudsonJohn Tuckfield 39Archbishop Herring by Thomas HudsonArchbishop Herring 40Richard Mervyn, Deputy Recorder And Mayor Of Barnstaple by Thomas HudsonRichard Mervyn, Deputy Recorder And Mayor Of Barnstaple 41Portrait Of An Unknown Man In A Grey Suit by Thomas HudsonPortrait Of An Unknown Man In A Grey Suit 42Lady Lucy Manners by Thomas HudsonLady Lucy MannersCalke Abbey 43Viscount Townshend by Thomas HudsonViscount Townshend 44George Frideric Handel by Thomas HudsonGeorge Frideric HandelFitzwilliam Museum 45Frank Nicholls by Thomas HudsonFrank Nicholls 46Judge William Noel by Thomas HudsonJudge William NoelAttingham Park 47Miss Mary Moneypenny by Thomas HudsonMiss Mary Moneypenny 48Portrait Of Alexander Van Aken by Thomas HudsonPortrait Of Alexander Van AkenNational Portrait Gallery 49George Score, Mayor Of Barnstaple by Thomas HudsonGeorge Score, Mayor Of Barnstaple 50Sir Edmund Isham by Thomas HudsonSir Edmund Isham 51Ann Costello, Daughter Of John Costello by Thomas HudsonAnn Costello, Daughter Of John Costello 52Edward Mitchell And His Dog by Thomas HudsonEdward Mitchell And His Dog 53Samuel Berry, Mayor Of Barnstaple by Thomas HudsonSamuel Berry, Mayor Of Barnstaple 54Harry Grey by Thomas HudsonHarry Grey 55James Bradley by Thomas HudsonJames Bradley 56Elizabeth Woodville by Thomas HudsonElizabeth Woodville 57Abraham Acworth by Thomas HudsonAbraham Acworth 58Sir Philip Yorke by Thomas HudsonSir Philip YorkeWimpole Hall 59Sir George Pocock by Thomas HudsonSir George Pocock 60Mrs Rebecca Willshaw by Thomas HudsonMrs Rebecca Willshaw 61Robert Incledon, Deputy Recorder And Mayor Of Barnstaple by Thomas HudsonRobert Incledon, Deputy Recorder And Mayor Of Barnstaple 62Alexander Van Aken by Thomas HudsonAlexander Van Aken 63Portrait Of An Actor by Thomas HudsonPortrait Of An Actor 64George Fox-lane, Lord Bingley by Thomas HudsonGeorge Fox-lane, Lord Bingley 65John Sharp, Archdeacon Of Durham by Thomas HudsonJohn Sharp, Archdeacon Of Durham 66Dr John Gilbert, Bishop Of Salisbury by Thomas HudsonDr John Gilbert, Bishop Of Salisbury 67Robert Henley, 1st Earl Of Northington by Thomas HudsonRobert Henley, 1st Earl Of Northington 68Archbishop John Potter by Thomas HudsonArchbishop John Potter 69Sir William Lee by Thomas HudsonSir William LeeSudbury Hall 70George Spencer by Thomas HudsonGeorge Spencer 71Christiana Maria Rolle by Thomas HudsonChristiana Maria Rolle 72Isaac Newton by Thomas HudsonIsaac Newton 73Zachary Brooke by Thomas HudsonZachary Brooke 74Denys Rolle by Thomas HudsonDenys Rolle 75Herring by Thomas HudsonHerring 76John Ray by Thomas HudsonJohn Ray 77Anne Lee by Thomas HudsonAnne LeeSudbury Hall 78Jane Cust by Thomas HudsonJane CustBelton House 79William Anne Van Keppel by Thomas HudsonWilliam Anne Van Keppel 80Heath, Mayor And Sheriff Of Exeter by Thomas HudsonHeath, Mayor And Sheriff Of Exeter 81Richard Bentley by Thomas HudsonRichard Bentley 82Frances Hunt by Thomas HudsonFrances HuntLanhydrock House 83Mrs Collier by Thomas HudsonMrs Collier 84Henry Drake by Thomas HudsonHenry Drake 85Anne Rolle by Thomas HudsonAnne Rolle 86Lucy Cockayne Cust by Thomas HudsonLucy Cockayne CustBelton House 87Mary Belson by Thomas HudsonMary Belson 88Sir Watkin William Wynn by Thomas HudsonSir Watkin William Wynn 89John Walcot by Thomas HudsonJohn Walcot 90Sir Charles Pratt by Thomas HudsonSir Charles Pratt 91John Potter by Thomas HudsonJohn Potter 92Elizabeth Hunt by Thomas HudsonElizabeth HuntLanhydrock House 93Charles Haddock by Thomas HudsonCharles Haddock 94Mary Western by Thomas HudsonMary Western 95George Frideric Handel by Thomas HudsonGeorge Frideric Handel 96Phila Franks by Thomas HudsonPhila Franks 97Judith Lamb by Thomas HudsonJudith Lamb 98James Bradley by Thomas HudsonJames Bradley 99Sir William Browne by Thomas HudsonSir William Browne 100Portrait Of A Lady by Thomas HudsonPortrait Of A Lady

Thomas Hudson's paintings, period by period

What Thomas Hudson painted most

The four subjects that come up most often in these pieces, each with its best-known example.

Where you can see Thomas Hudson's paintings

The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.

Museum City Works by Thomas Hudson Paintings from this list
Yale Center for British Art, New HavenYale Center for British Art New Haven 5 The Thistlethwayte Family, Princess Amelia Sophia Eleonore of Great Britain, Portrait of a Woman, Probably Elizabeth Aislabie, of Studley Royal, Yorkshire
National Portrait Gallery, LondonNational Portrait Gallery London 8 Sir Peter Warren, Portrait Of Sir John Willes, Portrait Of Alexander Van Aken
Sudbury Hall, AshbourneSudbury Hall Ashbourne 4 The Hon. Mary Venables Vernon, later Mrs George (Adams) Anson (1739-1843), as a Girl, Sir William Lee, Anne Lee
Belton House, GranthamBelton House Grantham 3 Jane Cust, Lucy Cockayne Cust
Lanhydrock House, BodminLanhydrock House Bodmin 3 Frances Hunt, Elizabeth Hunt
Art Institute of Chicago, ChicagoArt Institute of Chicago Chicago 2 John Newton, John Van der Wall
National Maritime Museum, LondonNational Maritime Museum London 5 Admiral Sir Peter Warren
National Library of Wales, AberystwythNational Library of Wales Aberystwyth 4 Sir Nicholas Williams

Thomas Hudson year by year: the standout pieces

Thomas Hudson's dated pieces here stretch across 19 years, from 1740 to 1758. Scroll through them year by year, with the best-known pieces of each.

Works per year

Pick a year to see its pieces.

Your questions about Thomas Hudson's paintings

Which Thomas Hudson painting is the most famous?See the answer

Top of the list is Sir Peter Warren, National Portrait Gallery, London. Right behind it: John Newton (1757) and The Thistlethwayte Family (1758).

What are the 10 best-known Thomas Hudson paintings?See the answer

Sir Peter Warren, John Newton, The Thistlethwayte Family, Princess Amelia Sophia Eleonore of Great Britain, Portrait of a Lady with her daughter, John Van der Wall, Portrait of a Woman, Probably Elizabeth Aislabie, of Studley Royal, Yorkshire, Mrs. John Wendt, Sir Nicholas Williams and Portrait of a Lady. You'll find the year and the museum of each in the list above.

How many paintings did Thomas Hudson create?See the answer

We have 299 works by Thomas Hudson in our catalogue, dated 1740 to 1758.

Where can you see Thomas Hudson's famous paintings?See the answer

You'll find most of them in Yale Center for British Art (New Haven), National Portrait Gallery (London) and Sudbury Hall (Ashbourne). The museum list above has the full breakdown.

When did Thomas Hudson paint the best-known pieces?See the answer

In 1745, more than any other time: 5 of the 100 pieces on this page date from then, Princess Amelia Sophia Eleonore of Great Britain among them.

Which famous Thomas Hudson paintings came first and last?See the answer

The earliest piece here is Sir Nicholas Williams (1740); the most recent is The Thistlethwayte Family (1758).

What subjects show up most in Thomas Hudson's paintings?See the answer

18th century (25), Portraiture (21) and Portrait (14), out of the 100 pieces on this page.

What materials did Thomas Hudson paint with most?See the answer

Oil On Canvas, used in 9 of the 100 pieces on this page.

What art movement was Thomas Hudson part of?See the answer

Neoclassicism, as you can see in the pieces on this page.

Which Thomas Hudson pieces can you see at the Yale Center for British Art?See the answer

You can see 4 of the pieces on this page at the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, including The Thistlethwayte Family, Princess Amelia Sophia Eleonore of Great Britain and Portrait of a Woman, Probably Elizabeth Aislabie, of Studley Royal, Yorkshire.

Can I get a reproduction of a Thomas Hudson painting?See the answer

Yes. Every painting on this page is available as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a print, in the size that suits you. Just open the painting's page to order.

Getting to know Thomas Hudson

Thomas Hudson: A Life in Portraiture

Early Life and Training

  • Born: 1701, Bideford, United Kingdom (exact birthplace unknown).
  • Thomas Hudson emerged as a prominent figure in 18th-century English portraiture. His early life remains somewhat obscure, but his dedication to art quickly became apparent.
  • Apprenticeship: He began his artistic journey under the tutelage of Jonathan Richardson in London. This foundational training instilled in him a meticulous approach to portraiture and a keen eye for detail.
  • A controversial marriage followed, as Hudson wed Richardson’s daughter before 1725, despite his mentor's disapproval.

Prolific Period and Artistic Style

  • Peak Years: Hudson reached the height of his career between 1740 and 1760. From 1745 to 1755, he was arguably London’s most successful portraitist.
  • Workshop Practice: He operated a bustling workshop with numerous assistants, including the specialist drapery painter Joseph van Aken, allowing him to fulfill a high volume of commissions.
  • Style Characteristics: Hudson’s portraits are celebrated for their elegance and refinement. He skillfully captured the status and personality of his sitters through polished brushwork and attention to detail, particularly in rendering fabrics and textures.

Influences and Travels

  • Artistic Influences: Richardson’s influence is evident in Hudson's early work, emphasizing accuracy and a classical approach.
  • Continental Exposure: In 1748, he traveled to the Low Countries, followed by Italy in 1752. These journeys exposed him to diverse artistic styles and techniques, broadening his artistic horizons.
  • Twickenham Residence: In 1753, Hudson purchased a house at Cross Deep, Twickenham, near Alexander Pope’s villa, placing him within a vibrant intellectual and artistic community.

Notable Students and Legacy

  • Mentorship: Hudson was an influential teacher. Among his most celebrated pupils were Joshua Reynolds and Joseph Wright, both of whom went on to become leading figures in British art.
  • Drapery Expertise: He also trained Peter Toms, who specialized in painting draperies, further demonstrating Hudson’s commitment to technical skill and craftsmanship.
  • Later Life & Death: Towards the end of the 1750s, Hudson began to retire from active practice. He died at Twickenham in 1779.
  • Posthumous Sale: His extensive private art collection was sold off in three separate sales after his death.

Historical Significance and Works Today

  • Contribution to British Portraiture: Thomas Hudson played a crucial role in shaping the development of English portraiture during the 18th century. His refined style set a standard for elegance and sophistication.
  • Museum Collections: His paintings can be found in prominent institutions such as the National Portrait Gallery, the National Maritime Museum, Tate, Foundling Museum, and the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery.
  • Accessibility Today: Many of his works are also available for viewing online at platforms like ArtsDot.com, allowing art enthusiasts worldwide to appreciate his artistry.

All 299 works by Thomas Hudson →