Identity:
Robert Vernon was a horse dealer, patron and collector.
Life:
He gave a large collection of contemporary British works to the nation in 1847. JW saw it in 1849 (#06667). By that time, the National Gallery had become overcrowded, and Vernon's collection was displayed elsewhere, first at Vernon's own house, and later at Marlborough House. Most of the paintings are now in Tate Britain.
Bibliography:
National portrait Gallery on-line catalogue at http://www.npg.org.uk (accessed 2004); Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford, 2004.