1
Nonpareil
Hand-painted oil reproduction from $178 35 × 28 cm
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John Doyle, 1797 – 1868
The 1 Most Famous John Doyle Paintings, Ranked
The best-loved painting by John Doyle is Nonpareil (1821), which hangs in the Royal Collection, London. Our catalogue holds 1 works by John Doyle: here are the 1 most famous, each with its year, its museum and what makes it memorable.
Ranked by our popularity score, which combines the searches, visits and orders for each work. Updated November 2026. Each painting on this page can be ordered as an oil reproduction painted by hand on linen canvas, or as a fine art print, made to the size you choose.
- Born · died
- 1797 – 1868, Dublin
- Works in our catalogue
- 1
- Most famous
- Nonpareil (1821)
- Most works at
- Royal Collection
Top 10 John Doyle paintings: the canvases everyone knows
Where John Doyle's canvases hang
The museum that holds the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by John Doyle | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Royal Collection |
London | 1 | Nonpareil |
John Doyle's best-loved canvases, year by year
Every dated canvas by John Doyle on this page was painted in 1821; here they are, the most famous first.
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1821
1 of 1Nonpareil
About John Doyle's canvases: your questions answered
What is the best-known painting by John Doyle?Read the answer
Nonpareil (1821).
What age was John Doyle when Nonpareil was painted?Read the answer
John Doyle, born in 1797, was 24 years old: Nonpareil dates from 1821.
How many works did John Doyle paint in all?Read the answer
1 works by John Doyle are in our catalogue.
Where can I see John Doyle's most famous canvases?Read the answer
Mostly in Royal Collection (London); the list above names each museum and its canvases.
Can I buy a reproduction of a John Doyle canvas?Read the answer
Yes. Every painting on this page can be ordered from its own page as an oil reproduction painted by hand, or as a fine art print, in the size you choose.
John Doyle: a life in paint
The Life of John Doyle
John Doyle was an Irish political cartoonist, caricaturist, painter, and lithographer. Born in 1797, he was the eldest son of a Dublin silk mercer from a Roman Catholic family. In his youth, he studied landscape painting under Gaspare Gabrielli and learned miniature portraits at the Royal Dublin Society's drawing school under John Comerford, where he won a gold medal in 1805.
Doyle moved to London in 1822 with his wife, Marianna Conan. His early work included equestrian portraits of the Marquess of Sligo and Lord Talbot, as well as a series of six prints titled The Life of a Racehorse. His painting Turning out the Stag was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1825.
Career and Legacy
Beginning in 1827, Doyle found success with political cartoons using lithography. These were issued monthly during parliamentary sessions for twenty-two years. Known by the pen name H. B., his caricatures featured faithful likenesses with sarcastic humour. He kept his true identity a secret until 1843, when he revealed it in a letter to Sir Robert Peel.
Doyle is considered a founder of the school of British cartoon satirists. His descendants included several notable figures:
- James William Edmund Doyle (illustrator)
- Richard Doyle (painter, illustrator, and cartoonist)
- Henry Edward Doyle (director of the National Gallery of Ireland)
- Charles Altamont Doyle (painter)
He died at Maida Hill on 2 January 1868.