Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester (1641-1711) politician

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Downing Street

Godfrey Kneller was born in Lübeck, Germany. He moved to Amsterdam in 1662 to study painting under Rembrandt and Ferdinand Bol. He later trained with Gianlorenzo Bernini and Carlo Maratta in Rome. He returned to Lübeck in 1675, before moving to Hamburg and then to London to study the works of van Dyck. In England he received commissions from prominent figures, including Charles II. Charles sent Kneller to France in 1684, to paint the portrait of Louis XIV. Kneller maintained his position at court after the accession of James II in 1685 and, when William and Mary came to the throne, he and portraitist John Riley became joint Principal Painters to the Crown. Following Riley’s death, Kneller alone retained the position. He was 77 when he died.
Jacobus Houbraken was born in Dordrecht, the son of Dutch artist and art historian Arnold Houbraken. Jacobus studied under his father, before making his name engraving portraits after both Old Master and contemporary artists, producing works for several countries. He engraved the plates for the third edition of Paul de Rapin’s ‘History of England’ (1743–47) and also for Thomas Birch’s ‘The Heads of Illustrious Lives and Characters of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain’ (1743–52). Hubert-François Gravelot produced the ornamental designs for both works. Houbraken’s pupils included Dutch printmaker and draftsman, Pierre Tanje. Houbraken died in Amsterdam at about the age of 82.

People

Laurence, 1st Earl of Rochester Hyde (1641 - 1711)

Places

Subjects

male portrait, 18th century costume, Earl, First Lord of the Treasury

Materials & Techniques

engraving

Artist

Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646 - 1723)
Jacobus Houbraken (1698 - 1780)

Title

Laurence Hyde, 1st Earl of Rochester (1641-1711) politician

Date

published 1741

Medium

Engraving

Acquisition

Purchased from F B Daniell, August 1970

GAC number

8757