Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678-1751) politician, diplomat and author

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall

There is some doubt over the artist of this portrait of Henry St John, First Viscount Bolingbroke, a Tory politician, diplomat and writer. An engraving of the portrait, which is reversed, was produced by printmaker Simon Ravenet (1706-1774). However, the lettering on the print does not reveal the artist’s name.

Charles Jervas, portrait painter, translator and collector of art, was born in Dublin. He moved to London in the mid 1690s, where he studied under Sir Godfrey Kneller. In 1698 he travelled to Paris to study in the Louvre and then went on to Rome, where he copied antique statuary and paintings by the Italian masters and also purchased art on behalf of English collectors. He returned to London in 1709 and 1723 he succeeded his former tutor, Kneller, as Principal Painter to King George I and later to George II. One of his most important patrons was Sir Robert Walpole, whom he also assisted in acquiring works of art.

People

Henry, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke St John (1678 - 1751)

Places

Subjects

writer, male portrait, man, 18th century costume, coat, wig, Viscount, diplomat

Materials & Techniques

canvas, oil, oil painting

Artist

Charles Jervas (c.1675 - 1739)

Title

Henry St John, 1st Viscount Bolingbroke (1678-1751) politician, diplomat and author

Date

c.1735

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

height: 77.50 cm, width: 64.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Richard Gayner, April 1966

Inscription

tl: Ld.. Bolingbroke.

Provenance

Collection of suspected murderer (Richard) John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan (1934-in or after 1974); by whom sold through Sotheby's, London, 'Catalogue of Old Master Paintings; including the property of the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Lucan' sale, on 21 October 1964 (Lot 2), for £95, as by 'G. Kneller'; from which sale purchased by Richard Gayner; from whom purchased by the Ministry of Works in April 1966

GAC number

7398