The Diary of George Price Boyce 1851. 04 Jun 1851. Called on Wells (age 22). Miss Guyson, the model, was with him, a good looking girl. She gave him a ticket for the Portland Gallery, National Institution, which I made use of. A fine picture [See Painting] there by Collinson (age 26), P.R.B., from the life of St. Elizabeth of Hungary (price £240).

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1851. 12 Nov 1851. Wells (age 22) came in to see my recent sketches in Wales. Generally they pleased him much, but he found considerable fault with want of masses and realisation in the trees department. We went off to Clipstone Street. Carl Haag sitting next to me. Miss Bine as a French Fisherwoman.

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1851. 13 Nov 1851. After Clipstone Street spent the evening with Wells (age 22) at John (age 24) and Thomas Seddon's (age 30), 7 Percy Street; G. Rossetti (age 23), F. M. Brown (age 30) and G. Truefitt (age 27) were there.

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1851. 18 Nov 1851. Wells (age 22) and I joined in admiring the earnest and persevering study of Millais and Hunt (age 24), who have been for several months together in a retired part of the country painting minutely from nature the backgrounds to their pictures.

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1852. 30 Dec 1852. Went down to Dante G (age 24). and William Rossetti's chambers at 14 Chatham Place, Blackfriars Bridge. Met there Wells (age 24), J. P. Seddon (age 25), Clayton (age 25), and Mr. Munro (age 27), Mr. Stephens (age 25) and Mr. Hughes (age 20). Rossetti (age 24) showed me his studio but none of his works (which is his way). He had for our entertainment a series of anastatic drawings designed and coloured by the Hon. Mrs. Boyle, some of which as beautiful in feeling, natural simplicity, and colour, and in poetical treatment as almost anything I have seen. They illustrate a nursery rhyme. Also a quantity of Gavarni's works, and a grand and most striking mask of Dante taken from a caste of his face in death; a tracing of his head in Giotto's fresco with the eye imperfect; a pen and ink sketch by Millais from Keats' "Isabella." In the physical way, roast chestnuts and coffee, honey, and hot spirits. His room has a jolly balcony overhanging the river, the reflection of the lights on the bridge and quays, etc., were charming. Conversation throughout delightful, resulting methought from the happy and gentlemanly freedom of the company generally. There was only one of D. G. Rossetti's (age 24) works to be seen in the room, and that was a sketch, study of a man, back view. Gabriel Rossetti (age 24) invited me to his studio next Thursday.

1853. Henry Tanworth Wells (age 24). Miniature portrait of Princess Mary Adelaide Hanover (age 19).

Queen Victoria commissioned this miniature of her cousin, Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, in 1853. Her payment to the artist, Henry Tanworth Wells, is recorded in her private accounts in 1854: 'Mr Wells, miniature, Princess Mary £28.7.0.' (27 guineas). Princess Mary recorded the first sitting in her Journal on 7 December 1853: 'Breakfasted in my own room, and at eleven o'clock was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the painter, Mr. Wells, who came to take a rough sketch of me; this lasted for over an hour'. She clearly found the experience of sitting tiresome, writing to the Honourable Mrs Dalrymple on 11 December: 'I am sitting for my picture for the collection of Miniatures at Windsor; and as this is no very pleasing task I thought you might perhaps kindly take pity on me and 'run away' to Kew some morning …' . Further sittings took place on 17 December 1853 and 4 January 1854, and the picture was pronounced finished on 13 January. The result is a miniature of which one critic commented: 'It is impossible to speak too highly' (Art Journal, 1854, new ser., V, p. 171).

1854. Henry Tanworth Wells (age 25). Portrait of Wilbraham Egerton 1st Earl Egerton (age 21).

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1854. 28 Jan 1854. To Wells (age 25); he had had an audience of the Queen, who was gracious and complimentary, liking his miniature of the Princess much. The latter [Princess Mary Adelaide Hanover (age 20)], Wells says, is a gleeful damsel, and retails to him with spirit and cleverness whole scenes from Box and Cox and other farces.

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1855-1857. 26 May 1857. (at Hayward's Heath). Letter from Wells (age 28) saying he and Rossetti (age 29) had been to my studio and walked off with that sunset sketch, and the crypt of St. Niccolo at Giornico, to exhibit with a collection of Pre-Raphaelite painters' work at 4 Russell Place, Fitzroy Square. They will look ridiculously small and mindless by the side of Rossetti's and Millais' and Hunt's works. I'm very vexed I wasn't in town to have contributed better things?

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1855-1857. 07 Dec 1857. Joanna's (age 26) birthday, and the day Wells (age 28) and she desired to be married on, but in all probability they will not get the deed in time at Rome, where they now are? | call for all happiness and prosperity in store for them.

1869. Henry Tanworth Wells (age 40). Portrait of Edward Gordon Douglas Pennant 1st Baron Penrhyn (age 68).

1869. Henry Tanworth Wells (age 40). Portrait of Emma and Frederica Bankes of Soughton Hall [Map] at their dressing table.

1877. Henry Tanworth Wells (age 48). Portrait of Katherine Gordon Lady Burleigh (age 25).

Katherine Gordon Lady Burleigh: In 1852 she was born to George John Hamilton-Gordon 5th Earl Aberdeen and Mary Bailie-Hamilton Countess Aberdeen. In 1931 Katherine Gordon Lady Burleigh died.

1882. Henry Tanworth Wells (age 53). Self-Portrait.