William Edward Parry (1790–1855)

Phillips's portrait of William Edward Parry, the Arctic navigator whose expeditions pushed farther north than any previous European traveler, documents one of the most celebrated explorers of the early nineteenth century—the man who proved that a Northwest Passage existed by traveling 500 miles into the Arctic Archipelago on his first voyage in 1819-20. Parry's success where previous expeditions had failed made him a national hero, and his subsequent voyages continued to advance British Arctic knowledge. Phillips's engagement with the Arctic exploration world—through both Parry and Franklin—gave him a distinctive place in the visual documentation of one of the most celebrated chapters in British geographical exploration.

Phillips captures the explorer with the confidence and determination appropriate to a man who faced Arctic conditions repeatedly. The Scott Polar Research Institute context connects the portrait to the broader history of polar exploration. The handling is professional and competent, serving the institutional needs of the collection.