Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 140 works by John Graham Gilbert in our catalogue
In short
Of all the originals John Graham Gilbert left, the most famous is James Watt (1736–1819) (1819). Close behind it come Professor George Jardine (1742–1827) (after Henry Raeburn) (1827) and John T. Alston (1780–1857), Provost of Glasgow (1820–1821) (1832). Our catalog holds 140 works by John Graham Gilbert; the gallery has kept the 100 the world admires most, each shown with its date, its museum and its story.
A single light source strikes the brow of James Watt, casting the rest of the world into a heavy, velvet darkness. He sits in a quiet stillness, his gaze fixed forward as if looking through the viewer toward a horizon of steam and iron. The white of his hair catches the light, a stark contrast against the deep shadows that define the contours of his face. There is a gravity…
The shadows cling to the edges of the frame, leaving only the face and upper torso of Professor George Jardine to emerge from the darkness. He gazes directly at us, his expression heavy with a quiet, intellectual authority that seems to command the very air around him. There is a stillness here, a moment frozen in 1827, where the weight of a lifetime of thought is etched into the lines…
The portrait presents a formal study of John Thomas Alston, a man whose posture and expression command the space of the canvas. He is depicted in a moment of quiet gravity, his presence defined by the heavy, dark tones of his attire and the deliberate arrangement of his hands. The lighting is directional, carving his features out of a deep, shadowed background and emphasizing the textures of his skin and…
The portrait depicts a woman seated in profile against a dark, indistinct background. She is positioned centrally, her form creating a pyramidal structure that directs the eye toward her head. The subject wears a burgundy velvet dress, the texture of which is rendered through meticulous brushwork that suggests the weight and softness of the fabric. A lace detail adorns the neckline, and a red feathered hat rests upon her head.…
In this 1855 oil portrait, we encounter Professor James Adair Lawrie, a man whose presence commands a quiet, somber authority. He is presented in a three-quarter length view, seated with an upright posture that suggests a lifetime of academic discipline. The composition is intimate, placing the viewer at eye-level with the subject, creating a direct connection that feels almost private. There is a profound sense of weight to the figure,…
This portrait, titled Mrs Agnes D'Arcy Jarvie, was painted by John Graham Gilbert in 1866. The subject is depicted from the chest up in a seated position. She is positioned in the center of the frame, gazing directly at the viewer. The composition focuses on her face and upper body, set against a blurred background that suggests an interior environment.
In Meditation, John Graham Gilbert presents a quiet study of introspection. The subject is a woman with long hair, dressed in a gown, captured in a moment of stillness. She is seated, her gaze directed upward as if caught in a private moment of thought or lost within her own internal world. There is a sense of profound contemplation in her expression that draws the viewer into her silent state…
Self Portrait (copy of Joshua Reynolds)1819
12
James Irvine1826
13
An Italian Nobleman1830
14
James Dennistoun, Esq., of Golfhill1829
15
Joseph Hume, Political Economist1823
16
James Irvine (d.1831)1826
17
William Murdoch (1754–1839)1827 · Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
18
William Dale (1794–1827)1825
19
A Tyrolese Hunter1826
20
Joseph Hume (1777–1855), Political Economist1823 · Scottish National Portrait Gallery
21
William Richardson (1743–1814), Professor of Humanity at the University of Glasgow (1773–1815)1827
22
An Italian Nobleman1830 · Royal Scottish Academy of Art - Architecture
23
Saint Sebastian1826
24
James Dennistoun, Esq., of Golfhill (1758–1835)1829
25
Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), Bt, FRSE1829 · The Royal Society of Edinburgh
26
Figure of a Lady (after Jacopo Palma il vecchio)1825
27
The Martyrdom of Saint Justina (after Paolo Veronese)1825
28
Reverend Stevenson MacGill (1765–1840), Professor of Divinity at the University of Glasgow1834
29
James Hopkirk of Dalbeth1835
30
Thomas Graham (1805–1869), FRS1837
31
Duncan MacFarlan (1771–1857), Principal of the University of Glasgow (1823–1857)1839
32
John Gibson1847 · Scottish National Gallery
33
John Burns, Professor of Surgery at the University of Glasgow1848
34
Lord Kelvin William Thomson, at the Age of 221846
35
John Burns (1775–1850), Professor of Surgery at the University of Glasgow (1815–1850)1848
36
John Gibson (1790–1866), RA1848
37
Portrait of an Unknown Sitter with a Book1846 · The Dick Institute
38
Georgina Smith1846 · Stirling Smith Art Gallery And Museum
39
Georgina Smith1846 · The Stirling Smith Art Gallery - Museum
40
Lord Kelvin William Thomson (1824–1907), at the Age of 221846
41
Portrait of a Man (formerly designated as Andreas Vesalius) (after a Venetian artist)1840
42
Mrs James Scott of Kelly1850
43
The Holy Family1850 · Baddesley Clinton
44
Mrs James Scott of Kelly1850
45
Thomas Thomson (1773–1852)1850
46
William Fleming (d.1866), Professor of Oriental Languages (1831–1839) and Professor of Moral Philosophy (1839–1866) at the University of Glasgow1854
47
Sir John Watson Gordon (1788–1864), Artist1854 · Scottish National Portrait Gallery
48
The First Born1853
49
Mrs John Jarvie1859
50
James Buchanan1860 · Nhs Lothian
51
Going to Market1860
52
Crossing the Ford1859
53
Alexander Hill (1786–1867), Professor of Divinity at the University of Glasgow (1840–1862)1864
54
William Weir (1794–1876), President of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (1847–1849)1865
55
The Bandit’s Bride1866 · Royal Scottish Academy of Art - Architecture
56
The Beggar Maid
57
Ideal Portrait
58
A Lady (after Henry Raeburn)
59
Bailie David Mitchell, OBE
60
Charles Lawson of Borthwick Hall (d.1874), Lord Provost of Edinburgh (1862–1865)
61
Archibald William Montgomerie (1812–1861), 13th Earl of Eglinton
62
Ann Margaret Forbes Leslie, Wife of Alexander Forbes Irvine, 20th Laird of Drum
63
Professor James Thomson (1786–1849), Professor of Mathematics at the University of Glasgow (1832–1849)The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery
64
James Dennistoun, Esq. of Golfhill (1758–1835)
65
The Young Seamstress
66
Dr William Hunter (1718–1783) (after Joshua Reynolds)
67
Old Woman Reading (after Rembrandt van Rijn)
68
Head of an Old Woman with a Cap, in Profile to the Right
69
Madonna della scodella (after Correggio)1825
70
Madonna with Saint Jerome (after Correggio)1825
71
Humphrey E. Maclae of Cathkin
72
Mungo Campbell
73
Elizabeth Buchanan
74
Mrs Isabella C. Campbell
75
Girls at a Stream
76
Italian Gentleman
77
Self PortraitRoyal Scottish Academy of Art - Architecture
78
A Grecian Girl
79
Study of a Female Figure
80
Mrs James BuchananNhs Lothian
81
James Hamilton
82
Reverend John Burns (1744–1839), Minister of the Barony Church, Glasgow (1774–1839)
83
A Lady Sketching
84
Portrait of LadyThe Dick Institute
85
Female Portrait
86
Female Portrait
87
Italian Woman
88
James Buchanan of Dowanhill (1756–1844)
89
Jane BuchananThe Dick Institute
90
William Murdock (1754–1839)The Royal Society of Edinburgh
91
Adam BlackThe Merchant's Hall
92
Italian Girl
93
Andrew Stevenson Dalglish (1793–1858)
94
Humphrey E. Maclae of Cathkin (1773–1860)
95
Contemplation
96
Mungo Campbell
97
Portrait of a ManThe Dick Institute
98
Elizabeth BuchananThe Dick Institute
99
Figure Study
100
A Grecian Girl
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by John Graham Gilbert | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 The Dick Institute |
Kilmarnock | 5 | Portrait of an Unknown Sitter with a Book, Portrait of Lady, Jane Buchanan |
 The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery |
Glasgow | 3 | Professor James Adair Lawrie; (1801-1859), Self Portrait, Professor James Thomson (1786–1849), Professor of Mathematics at the University of Glasgow (1832–1849) |
 Royal Scottish Academy of Art - Architecture |
Edinburgh | 3 | An Italian Nobleman, The Bandit’s Bride, Self Portrait |
 Scottish National Portrait Gallery |
Edinburgh | 2 | Joseph Hume (1777–1855), Political Economist, Sir John Watson Gordon (1788–1864), Artist |
 The Royal Society of Edinburgh |
Edinburgh | 2 | Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832), Bt, FRSE, William Murdock (1754–1839) |
 Nhs Lothian |
Edinburgh | 2 | James Buchanan, Mrs James Buchanan |
 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
Birmingham | 1 | William Murdoch (1754–1839) |
 Scottish National Gallery |
Edinburgh | 1 | John Gibson |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
A single light source strikes the brow of James Watt, casting the rest of the world into a heavy, velvet darkness. He sits in a quiet stillness, his gaze fixed forward as if looking through the viewer toward a horizon of steam and iron. The white of his hair catches the light, a stark contrast against the deep shadows that define the contours of his face. There is a gravity…
The shadows cling to the edges of the frame, leaving only the face and upper torso of Professor George Jardine to emerge from the darkness. He gazes directly at us, his expression heavy with a quiet, intellectual authority that seems to command the very air around him. There is a stillness here, a moment frozen in 1827, where the weight of a lifetime of thought is etched into the lines…
The portrait presents a formal study of John Thomas Alston, a man whose posture and expression command the space of the canvas. He is depicted in a moment of quiet gravity, his presence defined by the heavy, dark tones of his attire and the deliberate arrangement of his hands. The lighting is directional, carving his features out of a deep, shadowed background and emphasizing the textures of his skin and…
The portrait depicts a woman seated in profile against a dark, indistinct background. She is positioned centrally, her form creating a pyramidal structure that directs the eye toward her head. The subject wears a burgundy velvet dress, the texture of which is rendered through meticulous brushwork that suggests the weight and softness of the fabric. A lace detail adorns the neckline, and a red feathered hat rests upon her head.…
In this 1855 oil portrait, we encounter Professor James Adair Lawrie, a man whose presence commands a quiet, somber authority. He is presented in a three-quarter length view, seated with an upright posture that suggests a lifetime of academic discipline. The composition is intimate, placing the viewer at eye-level with the subject, creating a direct connection that feels almost private. There is a profound sense of weight to the figure,…
This portrait, titled Mrs Agnes D'Arcy Jarvie, was painted by John Graham Gilbert in 1866. The subject is depicted from the chest up in a seated position. She is positioned in the center of the frame, gazing directly at the viewer. The composition focuses on her face and upper body, set against a blurred background that suggests an interior environment.
James Watt (1736–1819) (1819). Professor George Jardine (1742–1827) (after Henry Raeburn) (1827) and John T. Alston (1780–1857), Provost of Glasgow (1820–1821) (1832) come next.
25 years old: James Watt (1736–1819) dates from 1819, and John Graham Gilbert was born in 1794.
James Watt (1736–1819), Professor George Jardine (1742–1827) (after Henry Raeburn), John T. Alston (1780–1857), Provost of Glasgow (1820–1821), Mrs Hugh Robertson of Gartloch (1798–1846), Professor James Adair Lawrie; (1801-1859), Mrs Agnes D'Arcy Jarvie, Meditation, Isabella Ewing, Mrs Smith of Jordanhill, James Watt and Self Portrait. The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 140 works by John Graham Gilbert, dated from 1810 to 1866.
Mostly in The Dick Institute (Kilmarnock), The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery (Glasgow) and Royal Scottish Academy of Art - Architecture (Edinburgh). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1820s: 18 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Professor George Jardine (1742–1827) (after Henry Raeburn) among them.
On this page, the earliest is Isabella Ewing, Mrs Smith of Jordanhill (1810) and the latest Mrs Agnes D'Arcy Jarvie (1866).
Portrait (13), Victorian era (10) and Formal (6), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 6 of the 100 works on this page.
Neoclassicism, judging by the originals on this page.
Portrait of an Unknown Sitter with a Book, Portrait of Lady and Jane Buchanan: the The Dick Institute, Kilmarnock holds 5 of the works on this page.
