The best-loved painting by William Powell Frith is The Derby Day (1858), which hangs in the Tate Britain, London. Dr Johnson and Mrs Siddons in Bolt Court (1887) and John Knox Reproving Mary, Queen of Scots (1844) come next among the canvases readers know best. Our catalogue holds 154 works by William Powell Frith: here are the 100 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 October 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.
William Powell Frith's “The Derby Day,” painted in 1858, isn’t merely a depiction of a horse race; it’s a meticulously crafted panorama of Victorian society at its most vibrant and, frankly, its most stratified. Exhibited to immediate acclaim at the Royal Academy, this large oil painting captures a single afternoon – a fleeting moment frozen in time – yet offers an astonishingly detailed window into the lives, aspirations, and social…
A Dramatic Encounter: Examining William Powell Frith’s “John Knox Reproving Mary” The painting "John Knox Reproving Mary," executed by William Powell Frith in 1844, stands as a cornerstone of Victorian genre art and a masterful depiction of a pivotal moment in Scottish history. More than just a visual record, it's an exploration of contrasting ideologies – piety versus pragmatism – skillfully rendered through meticulous observation and dramatic composition. The artwork…
The young man in this oil on canvas is William Powell Frith, captured in a moment of quiet introspection. Painted in 1838, the work presents the artist as a nineteen-year-old student, peering out from a time when his professional path was just beginning to take shape. At this stage, he is a resident of 6 Charlotte Street, a location that marks his early presence in the London art scene. The…
The oil painting titled Self-Portrait at the Age of 83 was executed by the artist William Powell Frith. Created in 1901, this work functions as a self-portrait, capturing the likeness of the artist himself. The subject depicted in the composition is William Powell Frith, presented in a bust-length view that focuses on the facial features and head of the sitter.
This oil on canvas work, titled William Powell Frith, is a self-portrait executed by the artist William Powell Frith. The painting, which depicts the artist himself, was completed…
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Portrait of a Lady La Marquise is an oil portrait by the British artist William Powell Frith. Executed in 1885, the work presents a young woman in a…
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In the quiet corners of a nineteenth-century studio, where the scent of oil paint and turpentine lingers, William Powell Frith captures a scene of profound, unexpected stillness. The…
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In the quiet corners of late nineteenth-century England, domestic life was often defined by a delicate balance of social propriety and deep-seated familial devotion. William Powell Frith’s 1890…
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A Window into Victorian Introspection: Examining William Powell Frith’s ‘The Miniature’ William Powell Frith's “The Miniature” stands as a quintessential emblem of Victorian portraiture, capturing not merely likeness…
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The painting Lancaster Sands, Lancashire is a beautiful depiction of people on the beach with horses and carriages. Created in 1848 by William Powell Frith, this oil on…
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William Powell Frith’s masterful depiction of a bustling railway station is more than just a painting; it's a vibrant snapshot of nineteenth-century England, teeming with life and narrative.…
The four subjects that return most often on these canvases, each with its best-loved example.
The 8 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by William Powell Frith | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 National Portrait Gallery |
London | 3 | William Powell Frith, William Powell Frith, Mary Elizabeth Maxwell, née Braddon |
 Royal Collection |
London | 4 | Anne Page, Queen Alexandra (1844-1925) when Princess of Wales |
 Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
Birmingham | 2 | Garden Flowers ( Making A Posy ), Retribution |
 Mercer Art Gallery |
Harrogate | 2 | Many Happy Returns of the Day, L'adieu de Marie Stuart |
 Sheffield City Art Galleries |
Sheffield | 2 | John Knox Reproving Mary, Queen of Scots |
 Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art |
Providence | 2 | Feeding Time (My Lady's Pets) |
 Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki |
Auckland | 2 | Portrait of a Lady La Marquise |
 Tate Britain |
London | 1 | The Derby Day |
The young man in this oil on canvas is William Powell Frith, captured in a moment of quiet introspection. Painted in 1838, the work presents the artist as…
A Dramatic Encounter: Examining William Powell Frith’s “John Knox Reproving Mary” The painting "John Knox Reproving Mary," executed by William Powell Frith in 1844, stands as a cornerstone…
William Powell Frith's “The Derby Day,” painted in 1858, isn’t merely a depiction of a horse race; it’s a meticulously crafted panorama of Victorian society at its most…
In the quiet corners of late nineteenth-century England, domestic life was often defined by a delicate balance of social propriety and deep-seated familial devotion. William Powell Frith’s 1890…
The oil painting titled Self-Portrait at the Age of 83 was executed by the artist William Powell Frith. Created in 1901, this work functions as a self-portrait, capturing…
The Derby Day (1858), Tate Britain, London. Dr Johnson and Mrs Siddons in Bolt Court (1887) and John Knox Reproving Mary, Queen of Scots (1844) follow.
William Powell Frith, born in 1819, was 39 years old: The Derby Day dates from 1858.
The Derby Day, Dr Johnson and Mrs Siddons in Bolt Court, John Knox Reproving Mary, Queen of Scots, William Powell Frith, King Henry And Anne Boleyn Deer Shooting, Self-Portrait at the Age of 83, The Duel Scene from 'Twelfth Night' by William Shakespeare, Garden Flowers ( Making A Posy ), Anne Page and Mr Honeywood Introduces the Bailiffs to Miss Richland as His Friends (also known as rom Oliver Goldsmith's 'The Good Natured Man', Act III, Scene 1). Each canvas in the ranking above comes with its year and its museum.
154 works by William Powell Frith are in our catalogue, dated 1837 to 1901.
Mostly in National Portrait Gallery (London), Royal Collection (London) and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (Birmingham); the list above names each museum and its canvases.
In 1860s, which gave 11 of the 100 works on this page, Feeding Time (My Lady's Pets) among them.
The earliest canvas here is My First Attempt from Nature (1837); the latest is Self-Portrait at the Age of 83 (1901).
Victorian era (14), Portraiture (5) and Victorian society (4), across the 100 works on this page.
Oil On Canvas, used in 8 of the 100 works on this page.
Romanticism, as the canvases on this page show.
The National Portrait Gallery, London holds 3 of the works on this page, among them William Powell Frith, William Powell Frith and Mary Elizabeth Maxwell, née Braddon.
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.
