Catalogue description Christopher Robert Pemberton 1765-1822 F. 1796

By an unknown artist

Half length to right, writing, the head tilted to right and turned towards the spectator; close cut grey hair, touching collar, dark brown eyebrows, brown eyes, straight nose, clean shaven: white cravat, black coat: red curtain background. On the back modern labels giving the sitter's identity.

The only published type is the portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence c.1810, which was c 1964 in the collection of Stanley M.Pemberton of Washington. Sussex, Its dimensions are approximately the same as our portrait, which seems as an early copy of it.

This, and the portrait of Mrs. Pemberton were purchased from Mrs. Pemberton Cotton. July 1964.

'A Catalogue of the Paintings ... of Sir Thomas Lawrence' by K. Garlick. Walpole Society, XXXIX. 1964. p.160: Annals, 30 July 1964. p.229:information K.Garlick.Esq.

Grandson of a Lord Chief Justice. Christopher Pemberton was born in Cambridge- shire and educated at Bury St Edmund's and Caius College, Cambridge. He was Censor in 1796, 1804 and 1811, delivered the Goulstonian Lecture in 1797 and the Harveian Oration in 1806. A Fellow of the Royal Society, he was appointed physician- extraordinary to the king, and from 1800-08 physician to St George's Hospital. Sadly it became impossible for him to carry on; he suffered from tic douloureux and no treatment of the day offered any alleviation from the terrible pain, though Sir Astley Cooper tried dividing several branches of the 5th nerve. Pemberton bore it bravely but retired at last to Kent, where death came to his rescue suddenly, in the form of a stroke, at the age of 57.