George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem (1648-1689), Lord Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor
Sir Godfrey Kneller (Lübeck 1646 - London 1723)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1686 - 1687
Materials
Oil on canvas in a wood frame
Measurements
2387 x 1448 mm (94 x 57 in)
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Erddig, Wrexham
NT 1151314
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem (1648-1689), Lord Chief Justice and Lord Chancellor by Sir Godfrey Kneller (Lübeck 1646 - London 1723), formerly attributed to John Riley. A full-length portrait, standing to right, wearing peer's robes, his right hand on his hip; purse of office and coronet on a table, right.
Provenance
Given by Philip Yorke III (1905-1978) along with the estate, house and contents to the National Trust in 1973. Bought from Acton Park, Wrexham (the Jeffreys' house, which was sold in the late 18th century), according to L.M. Yorke's ms. notes on Erddig and A.L. Cust, 1914, I. 220; undated (circa 1820 at time of house picture cleaning) early 19th century inventory of Erddig, as: "Ld: Chancellor Jefferies Riley", already at Erddig by 1798, when drawn by Joseph Allen (inv. D/7viii) for The Royal Tribes of Wales (1799) and thence by descent; given by Philip Yorke III (1905 – 1978) along with the estate, house and contents to the National Trust in 1973
Credit line
Erddig, The Yorke Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
Recto: 'Judge Jeffreys' (In black on frame) Recto: Inscribed in gold (in early 19thC): Discite justitiam moniti
Makers and roles
Sir Godfrey Kneller (Lübeck 1646 - London 1723), artist previously catalogued as attributed to John Riley (London 1646 – London 1691), artist
References
Erddig 1800-29 Inventory of contents of Erddig, 1800-1829, "Ld: Chancellor Jefferies Riley" Erddig 1914 Chronicles of Erthig on the Dyke by Albina Lucy Cust, (2 vols) 1914 , Vil. L, p.220. Acton Park, Wrexham (the Jeffreys' house, which was sold in the later 18th century). See also L.M. Yorke's manuscript notes on Erddig Hyde 1940: Harford Montgomery Hyde, Judge Jeffreys 1940, Frontispiece Steegman 1957 John Steegman, A Survey of Portraits in Welsh Houses, Vol.I: North Wales, Cardiff, 1957, p.97. "PORTRAITS AT ERDDIG, WREXHAM 31. GEORGE JEFFREYS, 1ST BARON JEFFREYS of Wem. 1648-1689. Lord Chief-Justice, 1682. Lord Chancellor 1685-8. Attributed to John Riley, c/1686-8. WL., life-size, standing to r.; wearing peer's robes. The Chancellor's Purse on table on r. Attribution to Riley is made in the house-list, 19th century." Millar 1963 Oliver Millar, The Tudor, Stuart and Early Georgian Pictures in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, London 1963, 2 vols, p.23 (correcting attribution, and pointing out that Kneller re-used almost exactly the same pose for his portrait of William III) Keeton 1965 G. W. Keeton, Lord Chancellor Jeffreys 1965, pp. 514-515 & pl. 8 (this book contains a very full iconography of Jeffreys) Stewart 1983 J. Douglas Stewart, Sir Godfrey Kneller, Oxford, 1983, pp. 40 82, 112 & 193, No. 393 (identifying it with the painting for the Inner Temple, pointing out that the pose goes back to Van Dyck's Charles I) Ingamells, 2009: John Ingamells, Later Stuart Portraits 1685-1714, National Portrait Gallery, London, 2009, pp. 135