Reverend William Blow Collis (1778–1855)

Phillips's portrait of the Reverend William Blow Collis from around 1808, held at the Brook Green collection, documents one of the many clergymen whose portraits constituted a significant portion of his ecclesiastical practice. The Anglican clergy provided Phillips with a steady stream of portrait commissions throughout his career, reflecting both the Church's tradition of institutional documentation and the prosperity of the early nineteenth-century Anglican establishment. Collis's specific identity and career remain relatively obscure, but his portrait demonstrates the comprehensive scope of Phillips's engagement with the clerical world that was central to early Victorian English society and culture.

The clerical portrait follows Phillips's standard approach to ecclesiastical subjects, with dark dress focusing attention on the face. The handling is professional, with the sitter's individual character communicated through careful facial observation. The restrainted palette suits the clerical subject.