Called John Gay (1685 – 1732)
attributed to George Knapton (London 1698 - London 1778)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1720 - 1778
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
750 x 620 mm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Calke Abbey, Derbyshire
NT 290371
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Called John Gay (1685 – 1732), attributed to George Knapton George Knapton (London 1698 – Kensington 1778). A half-length portrait of a man, wearing a red jacket. He wears a black turban and gold waistcoat and holds a leather bound book in his right hand he stands by a window through which a view of small boats with square sails on a river can be seen (inventory card). John Gay was the author of the 'Beggar's Opera' and of the Fables written in 1727, one of which forms the inspiration for John Ferneley's painting of 'The Council of Horses' at Calke.
Provenance
Acquired with Calke Abbey's contents, with the aid of a grant provided by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, thanks to a special allocation of money from the Government and transferred in lieu of tax on the estate of Charles Jenney Harpur-Crewe (1917 - 1981) to the National Trust with the house that was given by Henry Jenney Harpur-Crewe (1921- 1991), in 1984
Credit line
Calke Abbey, The Harpur Crewe Collection (acquired by the National Trust with the help of the help of the National Heritage Memorial Fund in 1984)
Makers and roles
attributed to George Knapton (London 1698 - London 1778), artist