General Sir John Withington Adams (1764–1837)

William Havell, a founding member of the Society of Painters in Watercolours, was renowned for his landscapes and, later in his career, for portraits and scenes from his extensive travels. This portrait of General Sir John Withington Adams, painted in 1820, likely dates to Havell's significant period in India, where he lived from 1817 to 1825. During this time, he found lucrative employment painting portraits and landscapes, a departure from his earlier focus on British scenery like the Welsh valleys and the Lake District. While the British Library holds this work, Havell's broader oeuvre, as seen in collections like the Met and the Art Institute of Chicago, often features detailed watercolors and engravings, particularly of landscapes and natural history subjects. This portrait showcases his adaptability and skill in capturing individual likeness, a testament to his artistic range beyond the picturesque views he was initially known for. It represents a key phase in his career when he embraced a more diverse subject matter to sustain his artistic practice.