Flinders portrait

The well known miniature portrait of Matthew Flinders, which can be seen among other places on the cover and page 4 of 'Matthew Flinders - The Ultimate Voyage' (State Library of New South Wales 2001), has not been attributed to a particular artist. It is described as a watercolour on ivory 'retained by Ann Flinders when Matthew left England in July 1801'.

In 'My Love Must Wait : The Story of Matthew Flinders' by Ernestine Hill (Angus & Robertson 1971) we are advised on p 215 : "The commander sat for his miniature to the nineteen year old Westall". No source is given in this historical romance for the attribution and William Westall is possibly the artist; he did a few portraits during his career although no miniature by him his known. However a more likely candidate is Richard Westall. Farington notes on June 17, 1801 that Richard Westall "left his Brother on board on board the Ship ('Investigator') at Portsmouth", when an opportunity to paint a miniature would have presented itself. From the Flinders Papers at Melbourne Public Library Rex Reinits (p85 'Early Artists of Australia' (Angus & Robertson 1963)states that "He (Richard Westall) and Flinders apparently got on well". Richard had been trained as a miniaturist and several miniatures by him are known, among them being one of the Spencer children. I think he is more likely to have been the artist who executed the small profile of Flinders. He was keen to oil the wheels of William Westall's appointment as landscape artist for the voyage and clearly Flinders would appreciate having a portrait done of him to give to his wife before his departure.
Ernest Scott in 'The Life of Matthew Flinders'(1914, reissued 2001) suggests this miniature was in the possession of Mrs Flinders in 1814 when it was used for an engraving by Blood which appeared in the 'Naval Chronicle'.
When I wrote to Richard Walker, who was responsible for the Regency Catalogue at the Archive of the National Portrait Gallery,about my view that Richard Westall probably painted the Flinders miniature, he replied (15 September, 1981) that "I think your idea of Richard Westall as a likely artist is a good one". Walker advised me that "We have Helen Jones's copy (of the miniature portrait) here, painted in 1919 from the original miniature given to the Mitchell Library, New South Wales, by Professor Flinders-Petrie."
The portrait is unsigned and Mrs Flinders, according to Walker, "did not like it and dubbed it as 'but an indifferent likeness' without naming the artist." Richard Westall could paint both excellent and indifferent portraits. In this case - possibly due to the need to complete the miniature speedily - it seems he (or some unkown artist) failed to meet a lover's expectations. It is however the best view of Matthew Flinders we are ever likely to have.