In Tate Britain
- Artist
- Sir Godfrey Kneller 1646–1723
- Medium
- Oil paint on canvas
- Dimensions
- Unconfirmed: 2286 × 1448 mm
- Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Presented by Tate Members 2005
- Reference
- T12029
Display caption
This man was a member of parliament for forty-six years. Strongly religious, he was a great believer in democracy and felt uncomfortable referring to the House of Commons as the ‘lower’ house. He wears his Parliamentary robes and, in a break with convention, sits comfortably rather than standing formally posed. Kneller was born in Germany, but trained in Amsterdam and studied in Italy before moving to England in 1676. Towards the end of the century, after the deaths of Peter Lely and John Riley, Kneller became the leading portrait painter in Britain.
Gallery label, April 2007
Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.
Explore
- clothing and personal items(5,884)
- actions: postures and motions(9,098)
-
- sitting(3,321)
- man(10,387)
- individuals: male(1,847)
- royalty and social rank(1,833)
-
- aristocrat(1,358)
You might like
-
Sir Godfrey Kneller Portrait of John Banckes
1676 -
Sir Godfrey Kneller John Smith the Engraver
1696 -
Sir Godfrey Kneller The First Marquess of Tweeddale
1695 -
Sir Peter Lely Girl with a Parrot
c.1670 -
Sir Peter Lely Elizabeth, Countess of Kildare
c.1679 -
Sir Peter Lely Frans Mercurius van Helmont
1670–1 -
Sir Peter Lely Two Ladies of the Lake Family
c.1660 -
Gilbert Soest Henry Howard, 6th Duke of Norfolk
c.1670–5 -
Sir Godfrey Kneller Elijah and the Angel
1672 -
Unknown artist, Britain, attributed to Mary Beale Portrait of Robert Colman
c.1690 -
Simon Du Bois Portrait of a Gentleman, probably Arthur Parsons MD
1683 -
Jan Siberechts Landscape with Rainbow, Henley-on-Thames
c.1690 -
John Michael Wright Sir Neil O’Neill
1680 -
John Riley James Sotheby
c.1690 -
Mary Beale Portrait of a Young Girl
c.1681