In pictures: Poets' portraits

More than 300 portraits of authors, musicians, artists and scientists are being auctioned. A sketch of Ted Hughes by his wife Sylvia Plath bears the inscription: "Portrait of me, made by Sylvia Plath, circa 1957, Ted Hughes."

The portraits are being sold by manuscript expert Roy Davids, who collected them for more than 30 years. They include this photograph of the poet Robert Browning, taken in 1889 by Eveleen Myers.

Charles Darwin was photographed by Julia Margaret Cameron in 1868, and the scientist said he liked it "much better than any other which has been taken of me".

The sale at Bonhams auction house in London on Monday includes this portrait of Lord Byron by Thomas Phillips, with an estimated price of £3,000-£4,000.

Sir Richard Owen, who coined the word dinosaur and founded the Natural History Museum, was captured by Herbert Rose Barraud.

Poet Rupert Brooke gave out signed photographs of himself at public school. Roy Davids, who collected the portraits, said it was the most extensive collection of its kind in private hands.

French poet Charles Baudelaire said of his portrait by Etienne Carjat: "It is not perfect, because such perfection is impossible, but I have rarely seen anything as good."

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