English patron of art, born in 1774. Originally he was a breeder of horses, at which he made a fortune, but having a natural taste for art, he collected the best specimens of British artists at his place, Ardington House, in Berkshire. He bought directly from the artists. Sometimes he disposed of the works of an artist, but never without purchasing specimens in the improved style of the same artist. On December 22, 1847, he presented the choicest select portions of this wonderful collection to the British government. It is known as the Vernon Gallery, and formed the nucleus of the National Gallery of British Artists, preserved in the South Kensington Museum, to which it was removed from Marlborough House. The collection consists of 162 pictures, all of which were the works of British artists, with two exceptions. Besides the paintings there were several pieces of statuary, including many busts, and Gibson’s group of Hylas and the Nymphs. A portrait of Robert Vernon, by Henry W. Pickersgill, painted in 1846, and a bust by William Behnes, are in the National Gallery. He was elected an F.S.A., and died at London on the 22nd of May 1849.
