Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1672-1739) diplomat and army officer

Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646 - 1723)
George Vertue (1684 - 1756)

Engraving

1714

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  • About the work
    Location
    Country: Gibraltar
    City: Gibraltar
    Place: Governor's Residence, The Convent
  • About the artist
    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.
    George Vertue was born in the parish of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London. His parents served in the court of James II and his father may have later become a tailor. He was first apprenticed to a silver engraver and later to Flemish engraver Michael Vandergucht. His early work includes plates after Kneller, whose academy he attended from 1711. Vertue served as official engraver to the Society of Antiquaries (1717-56). In the 1720s he concentrated on portrait frontispieces, producing over 120 in total. From 1727 he was engraver to Oxford University. Vertue was also a publisher and ran a print shop near Drury Lane. In 1712 he began gathering information for a publication on the history of art in Britain, which remained unfinished at his death.
  • Explore
    People
    Thomas, 1st Earl of Strafford Wentworth (1672 - 1739)
    Places
    Subjects
    male portrait, 18th century costume, wig, diplomat
    Materials & Techniques
    engraving
  • Details
    Artist
    Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646 - 1723)
    George Vertue (1684 - 1756)
    Title
    Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford (1672-1739) diplomat and army officer
    Date
    1714
    Medium
    Engraving
    Acquisition
    Convent, Gibraltar (Governor's Residence) collection.
    Provenance
    Presented to the Convent, Gibraltar, by Lt. Col. William John Codrington, KCB, 1864
    GAC number
    17923