Photogravure of Wiliam Herschel after John Russell entitled 'Wm Herschel'. The Georgian Planet with its Satellites, 1794

No details are given as to who produced this photogravure except that it was taken: 'From a Pastel by the late J. Russell, Esq.re R. A., 1794. In the possession of Sir W J Herschel, Bart'

The original portrait was produced by John Russell (1745-1806) in 1794 and shows William, then aged 56, holding a sketch of 'The Georgian Planet with its Satellites'. The Georgian planet is the name Herschel gave to Uranus the planet he discovered in 1781 naming it after King George III, a common tactic used by those looking for patronage.

While William and many in England called Uranus Georgium Sidus, in France they called it Herschel. The name Uranus was first suggested by German astronomer, Johann Elert Bode.

The original Russell portrait is currently in a private collection, a copy however exists in the NMM (BHC2764).