King William III (1650–1702) by Candlelight
Godfried Schalcken (Made, near Dordrecht, 1643 - The Hague 1706)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1692 - 1697
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
749 x 622 mm (29 1/2 x 24 1/2 in)
Order this imageCollection
Attingham Park, Shropshire
NT 609007
Caption
William III invaded England in 1688, ultimately deposing James II and James IV, becoming King of England, Scotland and Ireland. The Dutch artist Godfried Schalcken may have painted this portrait during his stay in England, around 1692-97. Horace Walpole said of Schalcken: ' …his chief practice was to paint candelights. He placed the object and a candle in a dark room, and looking through a small hole, painted by daylight what he saw in the dark chamber. Sometimes he did portraits, and came with that view to England, but found the business too much engrossed by Kneller, Closterman and others. Yet he once drew King William; but, as the piece was to be by candlelight, he gave up his majesty the candle to hold, till the tallow ran down upon his fingers.' Another version of this picture is in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, King William III (1650–1702) by Candlelight by Godfried Schalcken (Made, nr Dordrecht, 1643 - The Hague 1706), signed: G. Schalcken, circa 1692/7. A half-length portrait of King William III, turned slightly to the left with head facing, wearing armour and ermine trimmed cloak. His face is lit by a candle at the right.
Provenance
In 1847 Catalogue of Paintings; in 1861 Inventory; in1913 Inventory; bequeathed to the National Trust with the estate, house and contents of Attingham by Thomas Henry Noel-Hill, 8th Baron Berwick (1877-1947) on 15th May 1953.
Credit line
Attingham Park, The Berwick Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
On canvas: G.Schalcken (signed) On stretcher (top): Lord Berwick, No.7 (on printed label) James Bourlet & Sons Ltd.... N.50993, (stencilled ink) 545 GS (pink chalk) 2 On stretcher (middle horizontal): The National Trust, Attingham (biro on label) W.O.y (or 7) 421/7/5737 (ink on label) On stretcher (middle vertical): B419 (F) On stretcher (bottom): ATT/P/071 On stretcher (right): Birmingham On reverse of frame (top): James Bourlet & Sons 1967 (in biro) Box U, Pageant of Canada Ex., Cat. 38, (printed label) City Museum & art Gallery, Birmingham, Jubilee Commemorative Exhibition, 1934 / The Property of (in ink) Lord Berwick, (ink on label) B419 (F), (printed label) (part obscured) 26 William III byy Godfried Schalken - Lent by the National Trust, (chalk) Nat. Trust, (pink chalk) 2 On reverse of frame (bottom): ATT/P/071 On reverse of frame (right): 71
Makers and roles
Godfried Schalcken (Made, near Dordrecht, 1643 - The Hague 1706), artist
Exhibition history
Secrets of the Royal Bedchamber, Hampton Court Palace, Surrey, 2013
References
Walpole 1762-80 Horace Walpole, Anecdotes of Painting in England; with some Account of the Principal Artists; and Incidental Notes on other Arts, 4 vols, 1762-80, vol.II p.232 Vertue 1730 George Vertue, 'Notebooks I-VIII', Walpole Society, I xviii, 1930; II, xx,1932; III, xxii, 1934; IV, xxiv, 1936; xxvi, V,1938; xxix, 1947 index; VI, xxx, 1955 , I Vol.XVIII (1930), p.29: [V.7, B.M.9] & Vol.II Vol.XX (1932), p.139: “[V 79, B.M.53] Whinney and Millar 1957 Margaret Whinney and Olivar Millar, English Art 1625 - 1714, 1957, p.282 Ingamells, 2009: John Ingamells, Later Stuart Portraits 1685-1714, National Portrait Gallery, London, 2009, p. 332 Prized Possessions: Dutch Paintings from National Trust Houses (exh. cat.), Holburne Museum, Bath 25 May - 16 Sep 2018; Mauritshuis, The Hague, 11 Oct 2018 - 6 Jan 2019; Petworth House, West Sussex, 26 Jan - 24 Mar 2019., pp. 17-8