Samuel Shelley was an English miniaturist and watercolour painter.
Largely self-educated, Samuel Shelley was a leading miniaturist, i.e., painter of portrait miniatures, of his time, ranking with Cosway, Smart, and Crosse. In addition to his portraits, he also painted in water-colours fancy figures and compositions from Shakespeare, Tasso, and other poets. His water-colours and miniatures were engraved by Bartolozzi, William Nutter, Caroline Watson, and others.