John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol (1665-1751)
after Sir Godfrey Kneller (Lübeck 1646 - London 1723)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1700 - 1729
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
737 x 610 mm (29 x 24 in)
Order this imageCollection
Ickworth, Suffolk
NT 851815
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol (1665-1751), after Sir Godfrey Kneller (Lübeck 1646/9 - London 1723), early 18th century.Half-length portrait of a young man, turned to the left, gazing at the spectator, wearing a brown coat, loose white shirt. Brown eyes, brown curly shoulder-length wig. Dark background. Similar to NT 851959. A larger version NT 851959.1 in Hall.
Provenance
From the lettering of the inscription, this would, at first blush, appear to be a direct copy of Kneller’s lost original, like NT 851959.1, painted for one of the 1st Earl’s children or other relations; but not only does there not seem to be any payment in his ‘Book of Expences’ that might be associable with it, unless it were to be by Fayram (but it seems too different from the copy belonging to St. Edmundsbury, and from his autonomous portraits at Ickworth, to be that), but it also contrives to make the sitter look younger; possibly therefore a later copy of NT 851959.1, inscription and all, painted for the house in St James’s Square, where it is first recorded;by descent and inheritance to Frederick William, 4th Marquess of Bristol (1863-1951), on whose death, valued for probate; accepted by HM Treasury in lieu of tax and transferred to the National Trust in 1956
Credit line
Ickworth, The Bristol Collection (acquired through the National Land Fund and transferred to The National Trust in 1956)
Makers and roles
after Sir Godfrey Kneller (Lübeck 1646 - London 1723), artist