Updated November 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 40 works by Violet Manners in our catalogue
In short
To the gallery's eye, Violet Manners's most famous painting is Mr Henry Cust (1861–1917) (1892). The Lord Wantage (1832–1901), KCB, VC (1891) and Viscount Peel (1829–1912), DCL, When the Speaker (1891) complete the trio every eye recognises. Of the 40 works by Violet Manners in our catalog, the gallery presents the 40 most famous below, each original with its year, its museum and what makes it unique.
The paper holds a man caught in a moment of quietude. Mr. Henry Cust sits in a bust-length pose, his body turned slightly to the left while his gaze remains inward. The light is soft, a diffused glow that avoids harshness, casting gentle shadows across the contours of his face. His eyes are closed, a detail that shifts the portrait from a mere likeness to a study of introspection. There…
This pencil drawing, executed in 1891, presents a bust-length portrait of a man in profile. The subject is positioned slightly off-center, facing toward the right of the frame. The composition is straightforward, focusing on the head and upper torso against an empty, unworked paper background. The light source originates from the left, casting the right side of the face and the clothing into shadow. This directional lighting creates a sense…
The face of Viscount Peel emerges from a void of pale paper. It is a study of bone and intention, rendered in the quiet language of charcoal and pencil. He looks directly at the viewer, his gaze steady and unyielding. There is no background to distract from the weight of his presence, only the soft, grainy texture of the medium meeting the surface. The light does not strike him from…
The graphite meets the paper in a quiet, focused dance, capturing a man who carries the weight of his station in the very set of his jaw. Lord Charles Beresford gazes out from the page, his presence felt through the delicate interplay of light and dark. The portrait is a bust-length study, a moment frozen in the soft, grey tones of a pencil sketch. He sits with a certain stillness,…
The man stares directly through the paper, his eyes meeting the viewer with a quiet, steady confidence. This pencil sketch of Lord Rowton captures a moment of stillness in 1888, freezing a sense of formal poise within the delicate strokes of graphite. He sits in a relaxed yet dignified posture, hands tucked casually into his pockets, a subtle contrast to the gravity of his expression. The light falls softly from…
The pencil meets the paper in a quiet dance of graphite and shadow, capturing a man whose very presence seems to vibrate with unspoken stories. This portrait of Rudyard Kipling emerges from the cream-colored surface, a study in monochromatic intensity that refuses to look away. He sits slightly off-center, his head turned toward the left as if caught in a moment of profound contemplation. The light is soft, diffused, washing…
The paper is aged, a pale cream surface marked by the soft stains of passing decades. Upon it, a young man emerges from the silence of the grain. He is rendered in pencil, his features defined by the precise, fine lines of graphite. His gaze is direct, meeting the viewer with a steady, quiet gravity. The light falls from above and slightly to the left, casting a gentle shadow beneath…
This monochromatic pencil drawing presents a formal profile of John, the 7th Duke of Rutland. The subject is positioned facing left, with his gaze directed toward the upper left corner of the frame. He is rendered from the head to the shoulders, set against a neutral, light-toned background that provides ample negative space. The drawing utilizes a grayscale palette, employing a range of tones from pale grey to deep charcoal.…
This 1886 pencil portrait captures a young girl, later known as Mrs Howard Whitbread, in a moment of quiet stillness. Rendered with precise draftsmanship, the work focuses on the delicate features of the subject's face and the structured silhouette of her hat. The composition is tight, centering the viewer's attention on her expression, which carries a sense of gentle surprise or soft dignity. Through a controlled application of varying pencil…
A pencil portrait from 1892 captures a man in profile, his gaze directed away from the viewer toward an unseen point. The subject, identified as the Earl of Oxford and Asquith, is rendered with a formal and serious demeanor. He is depicted from the head to the upper torso, wearing a suit jacket and tie that suggest a high social standing. The composition is tight, focusing the viewer's attention entirely…
HRH Princess Henry of Battenberg (Princess Beatrice) (1857–1944)1891
12
The Marchioness of Granby, Later Duchess of Rutland (1856–1937), Mother of Marjorie, Violet and Diana Manners (self portrait)1891
13
Lady Rodd (1864–1951)1894
14
The Lady Wantage (1837–1920)1894
15
Earl Cowper (1834–1905), KG1894
16
Henry, 8th Duke of Rutland, KG1898
17
Mrs George Batten (1857–1916)1893
18
The Duchess of Portland (1863–1954)1898
19
The Duchess of Leinster (1864–1895)1895
20
Lord Boos of Belvoir, afterwards 9th Duke of Rutland (1886–1980)1897
21
Princess Troubetzkoy (Amelie Rives) (1863–1945)1894
22
Mrs E. Tennant, afterwards Lady Glenconner (1859–1920)1895
23
Sir Gerald Portal (1858–1894), KC MA, Member of Lord Portal's Family1894
24
Mrs Beerbohm Tree (1863–1937)1899
25
The Lady Marjorie Manners, afterwards Marchioness of Anglesey, Daughter of the Duke of Rutland (1883–1946) (sister of Lady Diane Duff Cooper, née Manners)1899
26
Sir Rennell Rodd, afterwards Lord Rennell of Rodd (1858–1941), CB, KCMG1881
27
Mrs J. Bagot (1864–1940)1890
28
Marquess of Salisbury (1830–1903), KG1889 · Berlinische Galerie
29
Lady Katherine Thynne, afterwards Countess of Cromer (1865–1933)1892
30
Lady Ulrica Duncombe, afterwards Baring (1875–1935)1896
31
Lady Dixon Poynder, afterwards the Lady Islington (Lady Dickson Poynder) (1869–1958)1895
32
Sir Algernon West (1832–1921), KCB1899
33
Mrs Henry Cust (1867–1955)
34
The Countess of Westmoreland (1871–1910)
35
Lady Helen Vincent, afterwards Viscountess d'Abernon (1866–1954)
36
Lady Randolph Spencer Churchill (1954–1921), CI, Mother of Sir Winston
37
Miss Pamela Plowden, now Pamela Countess of Lytton (1873 1874–1971) (daughter in law of Edward Bulwen Lytton, author)
38
Megan Lloyd George (1902–1966)1918
39
Mrs Anne Maxwell Davis (d.1938)1937 · Peterborough Museum - Art Gallery
40
Lady Ribblesdale, née Tennant (1858–1911)
The four subjects that come back most often in these originals, each with its finest example.
The 2 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Violet Manners | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Berlinische Galerie |
Berlin | 1 | Marquess of Salisbury (1830–1903), KG |
 Peterborough Museum - Art Gallery |
Peterborough | 1 | Mrs Anne Maxwell Davis (d.1938) |
Pick a decade to see the original that defines it.
The man stares directly through the paper, his eyes meeting the viewer with a quiet, steady confidence. This pencil sketch of Lord Rowton captures a moment of stillness in 1888, freezing a sense of formal poise within the delicate strokes of graphite. He sits in a relaxed yet dignified posture, hands tucked casually into his pockets, a subtle contrast to the gravity of his expression. The light falls softly from…
The paper holds a man caught in a moment of quietude. Mr. Henry Cust sits in a bust-length pose, his body turned slightly to the left while his gaze remains inward. The light is soft, a diffused glow that avoids harshness, casting gentle shadows across the contours of his face. His eyes are closed, a detail that shifts the portrait from a mere likeness to a study of introspection. There…
Mr Henry Cust (1861–1917) (1892). The Lord Wantage (1832–1901), KCB, VC (1891) and Viscount Peel (1829–1912), DCL, When the Speaker (1891) come next.
36 years old: Mr Henry Cust (1861–1917) dates from 1892, and Violet Manners was born in 1856.
Mr Henry Cust (1861–1917), The Lord Wantage (1832–1901), KCB, VC, Viscount Peel (1829–1912), DCL, When the Speaker, Lord Charles Beresford (1846–1919), CB, Lord Rowton (1838–1903), KCVO, CB, Mr Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), The Hon. Neil Primrose (1882–1917), John, 7th Duke of Rutland (1818–1906), Miss Madeline Bourke, now Mrs Howard Whitbread (1878–1961) and The Earl of Oxford and Asquith, Husband of 'Margot' (1852–1928). The ranking above gives each one's year and museum.
Our catalog holds 40 works by Violet Manners, dated from 1881 to 1937.
Mostly in Berlinische Galerie (Berlin) and Peterborough Museum - Art Gallery (Peterborough). The museum table above lists them all.
In 1890s: 28 of the 40 works on this page were made then, Mr Henry Cust (1861–1917) among them.
On this page, the earliest is Sir Rennell Rodd, afterwards Lord Rennell of Rodd (1858–1941), CB, KCMG (1881) and the latest Mrs Anne Maxwell Davis (d.1938) (1937).
Portrait (24), Man (12) and Hair (11), across the 40 works on this page.
Pencil, for 10 of the 40 works on this page.
Contemporary realism, judging by the originals on this page.
