Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 216 works by Philip de László in our catalogue
In short
Andrew W. Mellon (1932) is the Philip de László painting that draws the most eyes. After it, the eye goes to Lady Rachel Cavendish, later Viscountess Stuart of Findhorn and Professor Johann Nepomuk Oser (1904). Among the 216 works of Philip de László in our catalog, these 100 are the most famous, each a unique original presented with its year, its museum and the reason it endures.
In this 1932 bust-length depiction, Philip de László captures the presence of Andrew W. Mellon. The subject is presented in profile, his gaze directed slightly off to the right. A quiet dignity settles over the figure, suggesting a man of significant status and intellect. The composition focuses on the head and shoulders, isolating the sitter against a muted, tan background that offers no distraction from the man himself.
Philip de László rendered this portrait of Lady Rachel Cavendish, later Viscountess Stuart of Findhorn. The sitter, who would eventually become the Viscountess, is presented here in a likeness captured by the Hungarian-born artist during a significant period of transition in her life. The work was executed just before her marriage to James Gray Stuart on 4th August 1923.
In this portrait, Philip de László presents us with Professor Johann Nepomuk Oser, an intellectual figure captured with a quiet, commanding presence. Created about 1904, the work offers a glimpse into the dignified character of a man defined by his scholarly pursuits. The subject is dressed in formal attire, a choice that reflects his status and the professional gravity of his position. There is a certain stillness in his posture…
A heavy silence settles over the canvas. The Archbishop sits in a three-quarter pose, his body angled slightly away while his gaze drifts toward the left of the frame. He is a man of shadows and stark light. The darkness of the background presses inward, forcing the viewer to focus on the pale, steady presence of his face and the pale grip of his hands. It is a study in…
The oil on board painting titled Lt-Col. Risaldar Jagat Singh and Risaidar Man Singh was executed by the artist Philip de László in 1916. This work depicts two Sikh cavalry officers serving within the British Indian Army. The subjects are identified as Jagat Singh of the 12th Cavalry and Man Singh of the 21st Cavalry. The portrait captures the two men in a single sitting that lasted approximately two to…
Three men sit anchored around a wooden table, their silhouettes etched against the dim light of a tavern. The air in the room feels heavy, thick with the scent of spilled spirits and unspoken words. Bottles rest on the scarred surface, catching the pale light like glass eyes watching the quiet drama unfold. A single chair sits empty nearby, a silent witness to a presence that has already departed. The…
In this 1911 oil on canvas, the artist Philip de László turns the gaze inward. Titled Self-Portrait, the work presents a direct encounter with the painter himself, Philip Alexius de László. It is a quiet moment of introspection captured during a period of established professional standing. The subject and the creator are one and the same, offering a rare glimpse into the man behind the formal portraits of the European…
Philip de László captured the likeness of Count Albert Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein in this oil on cardboard portrait. The sitter, an Austro-Hungarian diplomat who lived from 1861 to 1945, is presented with the quiet dignity characteristic of the era's high society. Created before 1907, the work reflects the artist's early period of establishing his reputation among the European elite.
Philip de László’s Portrait of Fürstin Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg, née Princess Olga Dolgouruky presents an oval-shaped bust-length study of the subject. The composition centers on the face and upper shoulders of Princess Olga Dolgouruky, establishing an intimate connection through a direct, eye-level view. She is rendered in regal attire, distinguished by a delicate jeweled tiara that catches the light. The arrangement focuses the viewer's attention on her calm expression and…
The portrait presents an elderly gentleman, captured in a bust-length composition that emphasizes psychological depth. Positioned slightly off-center, the subject gazes toward the viewer's left, creating an intimate, quiet connection. The lighting is dramatic, utilizing a chiaroscuro effect where a strong light source from the upper left defines the facial structure, the texture of the white beard, and the deep wrinkles of age. This illumination contrasts sharply against the dark,…
Frank Billings Kellogg1925 · National Portrait Gallery
12
Portrait of Madame Vanier1929 · National Gallery of Canada
13
Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy1933 · National Portrait Gallery
14
Marguerite Alexandrine, duchesse du Gramont, née de Rothschild1902
15
H.S.H. Prince Louis of Battenberg1910
16
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour1908 · National Portrait Gallery
17
'Top o' the Morning: Stephen, the Artist's Second Son1912
18
Portrait of Pope Pius XI (1857–1939)1924 · Bodleian Libraries
19
John Loader Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby1923 · National Portrait Gallery
20
William Richard Morris, Viscount Nuffield1937 · Ashmolean Museum
21
Sir Thomas Gardner Horridge1914 · Manchester Art Gallery
22
Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg with mantilla1927 · Museo del Prado
23
Alfonso XIII in Hussar Uniform1927 · Museo del Prado
24
Edward Drummond Libbey1922 · Toledo Museum of Art
25
Edwin Charles Clark, Professor of Civil Law1913 · st John's College
26
A Young Girl1899
27
Portrait of John H. McFadden1916 · Philadelphia Museum of Art
28
Alfonso XIII1927 · Museo del Prado
29
Clara Cook Kellogg1929 · National Portrait Gallery
30
Richard Burdon Haldane, Viscount Haldane1928 · National Portrait Gallery
31
Henry Charles Keith Petty-Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne1920 · National Portrait Gallery
32
Mrs. Archie Graham, née Dorothy Shuttleworth1917
33
Lucy de László, the Artist's Wife1918
34
Luke Fildes1914 · National Portrait Gallery
35
Sir William Pulteney Pulteney1917 · National Portrait Gallery
36
Portrait of a Lady and her Daughter (Portrait of Anya and Lanya)1911 · Hermitage Museum
37
Iphigenia Wise Ochs1930 · National Portrait Gallery
38
Viscount Lee of Fareham1921 · Courtauld Gallery
39
Portrait of Marshal Lyautey1929 · Musée d'Orsay
40
Adolph Ochs1926 · National Portrait Gallery
41
The Storyteller1891 · Hungarian National Gallery
42
At Vesper Bell1895 · Hungarian National Gallery
43
Lady with a pearl earring1898 · National Museum in Warsaw
44
Portrait of Ignaz Wechselmann1894 · Hungarian National Museum
45
After Work1896
46
Felicián Zách1896
47
H.R.H. Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria1894
48
The Little Girl and the Gardener (also known as Taking a Rest)1893
49
A Lady in Black1897
50
Sir (William Matthew) Flinders Petrie1934 · National Portrait Gallery
51
Field-Marshal Sir George White, V.C. (1835-1912)1900 · Royal Collection
52
Portrait of a Lady and her Daughter1902 · Hermitage Museum
53
Portrait of Leo XIII1900 · Vatican Museums
54
Portrait of my wife1905
55
Portrait of Catherine, Baroness Emile Beaumont d'Erlanger1899
56
Portrait of János Fadrusz1901 · Hungarian National Gallery
57
Portrait of Artúr Görgey1901 · Hungarian National Gallery
58
Mrs. Henry Guiness, neé Emelina Brown1901
59
Vita Sackville-West1910 · Sissinghurst Castle
60
Portrait of Lajos Ernst1907 · Hungarian National Gallery
61
Lady Wantage1911
62
Portrait of Theodorus Helenus Franciscus van Riemsdijk (1848-1923)1909
63
Mrs. Adriana Jacqueline Marie Loudon (1856-1919), second wife of Mr. T.H.F. van Riemsdijk1908
64
Princess Victoria of Wales1907 · National Portrait Gallery
65
Francis Wemyss-Charteris-Douglas, 10th Earl of Wemyss, 1818 - 1914. Politician1908
66
Madame Max Jaunez1911 · Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
67
Arthur Hamilton Lee1907
68
Sir Walter Townley, Diplomat1911 · Government Art Collection
69
Portrait of Maria Christina of Austria, Queen of Spain1910 · Royal Palace of Madrid
70
Lord Lee of Fareham1908
71
James William Lowther, MP, Speaker of the House of Commons1908
72
Portrait of Mrs. Herbert Asquith1909 · Palace of Westminster
73
Self-portrait of Philip Alexius László de Lombos1911 · Vasari Corridor
74
Portrait of Louis Antoine van Loon (1862-1953)1910 · Museum van Loon
75
Sketch for Dame Emily Penrose (1858–1942)1907
76
Dame Emily Penrose (1858–1942)1907
77
Portrait of a lady in a large hat1907 · National Museum in Warsaw
78
Robin Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Lord Stewart, later 8th Marquess of Londonderry1911
79
Miss Elizabeth Guiness1910
80
President Theodore Roosevelt1908
81
The Fourth Earl of Minto (1845-1914)1912 · Victoria Memorial Hall
82
Elinor Glyn1914 · Museo del Prado
83
The Right Hon. Sir Arthur Nicolson, 11th Bt of Nova Scotia,1st Baron Carnock (1849–1928)1915 · Sissinghurst Castle
84
Violet Rawson, Lady Leconfield (1892-1956)1915 · Petworth House
85
Sir Charles Stewart Henry Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh and 7th Marquess of Londonderry (1878-1949)1914 · Mount Stewart
86
Sir Charles Walston1913 · Fitzwilliam Museum
87
Portrait of Grace Elvina Hinds, Marchioness Curzon of Kedleston (1877-1958)1916 · Kedleston Hall
88
Countess Anna de Noailles1913 · Musée d'Orsay
89
Sketch for Portrait of the Viscountess Lee of Fareham1912 · Courtauld Gallery
90
Oliver Vickers1917
91
Auguste Victoria, Queen of Portugal, in exile, study1915
92
The Honourable Cecil Richard Molyneux1915 · Walker Art Gallery
93
Mr Oswald Sanderson1917
94
Mrs Beatrice Sanderson1917 · Ferens Art Gallery
95
Sir Donald Francis Tovey1913
96
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, Prime Minister and Philosopher1914
97
Richard Crewe-Milnes, Earl of Madeley1914
98
General Sir Robert Whigham, KCB, DSO, Deputy Chief of the Imperial General Staff1916
99
Lady Marie Louise Hamilton, Daughter of William, 10th Duke of Hamilton1912
100
Portrait of Lady Byng, née Marie Evelyn Moreton1917
#2 Lady Rachel Cavendish, later Viscountess Stuart of Findhorn
#4 Cosmo Gordon Lang (1864–1945), Baron Lang of Lambeth, Scholar (1882), Honorary Fellow (1928), Archbishop of York (1908–1928), Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942)
#5 Lt-Col. Risaldar Jagat Singh and Risaidar Man Singh
#7 Self-Portrait
#9 Portrait of Fürstin Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg, née Princess Olga Dolgouruky
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 Philip de László | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 National Portrait Gallery |
London | 11 | Count Albert Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein, Sir George Henschel (Isidor Georg Henschel), Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy |
 Hungarian National Gallery |
Budapest | 9 | Self-Portrait, The Storyteller, At Vesper Bell |
 National Portrait Gallery |
Washington, D.C. | 7 | Frank Billings Kellogg, Clara Cook Kellogg, Iphigenia Wise Ochs |
 Museo del Prado |
Madrid | 4 | Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg with mantilla, Alfonso XIII in Hussar Uniform, Alfonso XIII |
 Courtauld Gallery |
London | 4 | Viscount Lee of Fareham, Sketch for Portrait of the Viscountess Lee of Fareham |
 Hermitage Museum |
Saint Petersburg | 2 | Portrait of a Lady and her Daughter (Portrait of Anya and Lanya), Portrait of a Lady and her Daughter |
 Musée d'Orsay |
Paris | 2 | Portrait of Marshal Lyautey, Countess Anna de Noailles |
 National Museum in Warsaw |
Warsaw | 2 | Lady with a pearl earring, Portrait of a lady in a large hat |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
Three men sit anchored around a wooden table, their silhouettes etched against the dim light of a tavern. The air in the room feels heavy, thick with the scent of spilled spirits and unspoken words. Bottles rest on the scarred surface, catching the pale light like glass eyes watching the quiet drama unfold. A single chair sits empty nearby, a silent witness to a presence that has already departed. The…
In this portrait, Philip de László presents us with Professor Johann Nepomuk Oser, an intellectual figure captured with a quiet, commanding presence. Created about 1904, the work offers a glimpse into the dignified character of a man defined by his scholarly pursuits. The subject is dressed in formal attire, a choice that reflects his status and the professional gravity of his position. There is a certain stillness in his posture…
The oil on board painting titled Lt-Col. Risaldar Jagat Singh and Risaidar Man Singh was executed by the artist Philip de László in 1916. This work depicts two Sikh cavalry officers serving within the British Indian Army. The subjects are identified as Jagat Singh of the 12th Cavalry and Man Singh of the 21st Cavalry. The portrait captures the two men in a single sitting that lasted approximately two to…
Philip de László painted this portrait of Frank Billings Kellogg in 1925. The subject was a prominent American politician and statesman. His career reached a significant milestone in 1929 when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In this 1932 bust-length depiction, Philip de László captures the presence of Andrew W. Mellon. The subject is presented in profile, his gaze directed slightly off to the right. A quiet dignity settles over the figure, suggesting a man of significant status and intellect. The composition focuses on the head and shoulders, isolating the sitter against a muted, tan background that offers no distraction from the man himself.
Andrew W. Mellon (1932). Lady Rachel Cavendish, later Viscountess Stuart of Findhorn and Professor Johann Nepomuk Oser (1904) come next.
63 years old: Andrew W. Mellon dates from 1932, and Philip de László was born in 1869.
Andrew W. Mellon, Lady Rachel Cavendish, later Viscountess Stuart of Findhorn, Professor Johann Nepomuk Oser, Cosmo Gordon Lang (1864–1945), Baron Lang of Lambeth, Scholar (1882), Honorary Fellow (1928), Archbishop of York (1908–1928), Archbishop of Canterbury (1928–1942), Lt-Col. Risaldar Jagat Singh and Risaidar Man Singh, Regret (also known as Love Spurned), Self-Portrait, Count Albert Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein, Portrait of Fürstin Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg, née Princess Olga Dolgouruky and Sir George Henschel (Isidor Georg Henschel). The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 216 works by Philip de László, dated from 1891 to 1937.
Mostly in National Portrait Gallery (London), Hungarian National Gallery (Budapest) and National Portrait Gallery (Washington, D.C.). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1910s: 42 of the 100 works on this page were made then, Lt-Col. Risaldar Jagat Singh and Risaidar Man Singh among them.
On this page, the earliest is The Storyteller (1891) and the latest William Richard Morris, Viscount Nuffield (1937).
Man (25), Portrait (15) and Woman (9), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, for 25 of the 100 works on this page.
Academic realism and Realism, judging by the originals on this page.
Count Albert Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein, Sir George Henschel (Isidor Georg Henschel) and Julian Byng, 1st Viscount Byng of Vimy: the National Portrait Gallery, London holds 11 of the works on this page.
Yes, as a reproduction: the original stays in its museum, but any painting on this page can be painted by hand for you, made to order one at a time, from the painting's own page.
Philip Alexius de László, born Fülöp Laub on April 30, 1869, in Budapest, Hungary, rose from humble beginnings to become a celebrated portrait painter of European royalty and aristocracy. His parents, Adolf and Johanna Laub, were a tailor and seamstress respectively, of Jewish origin. He initially apprenticed as a photographer while pursuing his artistic studies. He gained admission to the National Academy of Art in Budapest, studying under Bertalan Székely and Károly Lotz. Further studies in Munich and Paris broadened his artistic horizons.
De László’s early work demonstrated a keen eye for detail and a developing mastery of realism. His influences included the academic traditions he learned at the Academy, as well as the prevailing trends in portraiture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He quickly distinguished himself with his ability to capture not only physical likeness but also the personality and social standing of his sitters. A pivotal moment came in 1900 when his portrait of Pope Leo XIII earned him a Grand Gold Medal at the Paris International Exhibition, establishing his international reputation.
Following his success in Paris, de László moved to Vienna in 1903 and then settled in London in 1907, where he remained for the rest of his life. He became a highly sought-after portraitist among the European elite. His clientele included monarchs, nobles, industrialists, scientists, and prominent figures from various fields.
In 1900, de László married Lucy Madeleine Guinness, a member of the prominent banking family. They had six children and seventeen grandchildren. He converted to Anglicanism upon his marriage after an earlier interest in Catholicism. Despite his British citizenship and established life in England, he faced internment during World War I (1917-1918) due to suspicions surrounding his Austrian connections, a period of significant hardship.
De László’s style is characterized by its realism, meticulous detail, and vibrant color palette. He was adept at capturing the textures of fabrics, jewelry, and skin tones. His portraits often convey a sense of elegance, sophistication, and social status. While primarily known for portraiture, he also created landscapes and genre scenes.
Philip de László’s work provides valuable insights into the lives and appearances of European high society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His portraits serve as historical documents, capturing a specific era and its social dynamics. Although sometimes criticized for being primarily a society portraitist, his technical skill and ability to capture character are undeniable. His oeuvre comprises nearly 4,000 works, including drawings, and a catalogue raisonné is currently in progress. He died on November 22, 1937, in London, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of the foremost portrait painters of his time.
