Sir Godfrey Kneller was a leading English Baroque portraitist whose subjects included nobility, politicians, poets, writers and other notable figures. His figurative and portrait paintings were in great demand for more than three decades around the turn of the 18th century.
Kneller was born in Lübeck, Germany, in 1646. His father was a painter and a city surveyor, positions which gave Kneller the opportunity of a university education. He studied mathematics at Leiden University in the Netherlands before shifting to painting, studying under luminaries such as Ferdinand Bol and Rembrandt.
In 1672, Kneller moved to Italy where he spent time in Rome and Venice painting portraits for the nobility. Around 1676, he moved to England, where he opened a studio. An encounter with the Duke of Monmouth led to an introduction to King Charles II, and Kneller became a court painter, garnering a reputation for his grand style. The young painter’s portraits had a penetrating quality that evoked the subject’s presence through like-like qualities on canvas.
In 1684, Kneller traveled to France to paint Louis XIV. Following the death of Charles II, he became the court painter for James II and later worked for his successors, William and Mary. Kneller was knighted in 1692 and received an honorary doctorate of law from the University of Oxford in 1695.
Between 1700 and 1720, he painted 42 portraits of members of the Kit-Cat Club, a political and literary group. Mary II also commissioned him to paint the Hampton Court Beauties, a series of paintings featuring the most graceful ladies of the royal court.
In 1711, Kneller became the governor of the London Academy and subsequently won re-election every year until 1718. King George I made him a baronet in 1715.
Kneller died in London in 1723, with hundreds of unfinished paintings remaining in the prolific portrait master's studio.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Sir Godfrey Kneller’s paintings.
Portrait Prince George of Denmark, Duke of Cumberland c.1690–1695 Oil painting
By Sir Godfrey Kneller
Located in London, GB
Portrait of Prince George of Denmark, Duke of Cumberland (1653–1708) c.1690–1695 Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646–1723) Few portraits embody the visual authority and dynastic sy...
Canvas, Oil
$7,161
H 26.25 in W 21.63 in D 1 in
French School, 17th Century, 'Portrait of the Marquise de Grugieres', oil canvas
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
French school, 17th Century Portrait of the Marquise de Grugieres Oil on canvas 26.1/4 x 21.5/8 in. (66.7 x 54.8 cm.) In a gilded composite frame, later production (possible early 1...
Canvas, Oil
$7,161
H 33.5 in W 29.5 in D 2.25 in
18th Century portrait oil painting of a lady in an ermine trimmed cloak
By Sir Godfrey Kneller
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
Circle of Sir Godfrey Kneller Dutch, (1646-1723) Portrait of a Lady in an Ermine Trimmed Cloak Oil on canvas Image size: 26.5 inches x 22.5 inches Size including frame: 33.5 inches x 29.5 inches A well-executed half-length portrait of a lady painted in a feigned oval, circle of Sir Godfrey Kneller. The use of a feigned oval was a device used in portraiture to give a sense of depth and add an intimacy to the painting, drawing your attention to the sitter. The subject, posed without her wig in the undressed fashion of the day, wears a blue ermine trimmed blue cloak over a white silk robe...
Canvas, Oil
$37,851
H 31.34 in W 26.38 in D 1.97 in
Male and female portrait, both in silk kimono, possibly textile dealers
By Christoffel Lubieniecki
Located in Amsterdam, NL
CHRISTOFFEL LUBIENIECKI (1659-1729) Pair of portraits of a gentleman and a lady, both in silk kimono, before a country house (circa 1680) Indistinctly signed “C.......” on a box under the man’s left hand Oil on canvas, 79.5 x 67 cm each Both sitters are portrayed wearing a silk “Japanese” coat. During the second half of the seventeenth the Japanese silk coat, an adapted Japanese kimono, became a real vogue in the Dutch elite. The exclusive Dutch trade contacts with Japan can explain the popularity of the kimono-style silk coats in the Netherlands. Everybody who could afford one, dressed in such a fashionable and comfortable coat and, like the present sitters, some proud owners had themselves portrayed in a “Japanese” coat often together with an oriental carpet to underline their standing and international connections. These portraits are the work of the Polish-born portraitist Christoffel Lubieniecki (also known as Lubienitski, Lubinitski or Lubiniecki) Lubieniecki was first trained in Hamburg under Julian Stuhr and after 1675 in Amsterdam under Adriaen Backer and Gerard de Lairesse. He specialized in landscapes, generally of an Italianate character, and in portraits. The loving execution of these contented burghers, enjoying the garden vistas of their country house, places him alongside Amsterdam portraitists such as Constantijn Netscher and Michiel van Musscher...
Canvas, Oil
$4,731
H 15.36 in W 12.21 in
Young Girl with a Basket of Fruit, Oil on Canvas, French, Circa 1790
By Jean-Baptiste Greuze
Located in Paris, Île-de-France
French School, late 18th century, circle of Jean-Baptiste Greuze (1725–1805) Young Girl with a Basket of Fruit Oil on canvas, preparatory work, Unsigned 39 x 31 cm Provenance: Pri...
Canvas, Oil
17th Century portrait oil painting of a gentleman
By John Riley
Located in Nr Broadway, Worcestershire
Circle of John Riley British, (1646-1691) Portrait of a Gentleman Oil on canvas Image size: 29 inches x 24 inches Size including frame: 36 inches x 31 inch...
Canvas, Oil
$1,951
H 29.34 in W 23.63 in
Antique oil paining, A laughing man with an upturned glass, Dutch golden age
Located in DEVENTER, NL
Anonymous, 18th century Inspired by a painting by Petrus Staverenus (1610/1612 – 1654-07-28/1664-07-28) from a series of Five Senses 'Taste: A laughing man...
Canvas, Oil
$4,139
H 82.68 in W 47.25 in
GENGHIS KHAN - Italian School - Oil on Canvas Italian Figurative Painting
By Maximilian Ciccone
Located in Napoli, IT
GENGIS KAN - Maximilian Ciccone - Italia - Oil on canvas cm.210x120. In this majestic oil on canvas painting the Artist Ciccone portray the Mongol leader and ruler Genghis Khan...
Canvas, Oil
$11,220
H 42.52 in W 35.43 in
Portrait of a Duchess of Humières, French late 17th century, circle of J.F. Voet
Located in PARIS, FR
Portrait of Anne-Louise-Julie de Crevant, Duchess of Humières French School, late 17th century, circa 1685 (unsigned) Circle of Jacob Ferdinand Voet (Antwerp 1639 – Paris 1689) Oil ...
Canvas, Oil
$4,139
H 82.68 in W 47.25 in
SAMURAI -Italian School - Oil on Canvas Italian Figurative Painting
By Maximilian Ciccone
Located in Napoli, IT
Samurai - Maximilian Ciccone - Italia - Oil on canvas cm.210x120- In this majestic oil on canvas painting the Artist Ciccone portrays a samurai, exhibiting the Japanese warrior cast...
Canvas, Oil
$18,334
H 35.83 in W 30.7 in
Portrait of marquise de Flavacourt, mistress of Louis XV of France, 18th c. 1740
By Jean-Marc Nattier
Located in PARIS, FR
Portrait of Hortense-Félicité de Mailly-Nesle, Marquise de Flavacourt (1715-1799) Studio of Jean-Marc Nattier (Paris, 1685 - 1766), no visible signature Mid-18th century French Schoo...
Canvas, Oil
$6,505
H 37.8 in W 30.71 in
17th-Century Flemish Oil - Saint Barbara, A Symbol of Protection and Resilience
Located in Aartselaar, BE
17th century Flemish School, Saint Barbara This accomplished 17th-century Flemish oil painting depicts Saint Barbara, shown as a serene and powerful woman dressed in a luminous red gown, set against a warm, atmospheric background and proudly holding her traditional attribute; a tower. The invention of the present composition stems from 17th century Antwerp and was likely drawn by Theodoor van Thulden...
Canvas, Oil
$23,657
H 44.25 in W 37.38 in
Portrait of a Young Girl with a Poodle, a portrait attributed to Jacques d'Agar
Located in PARIS, FR
Dimensions: 36 1/4 x 28 1/2 in (92 x 72.5 cm) - Framed: 44 ¼ x 37 3/8 in (112.5 x 95 cm) English frame in carved and gilded wood, Louis XV style Provenance: Christie’s London – July...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 55.12 in W 45.67 in D 3.75 in
Portrait of an Elegant Lady with Pet Dog c.1690; Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller
By Sir Godfrey Kneller
Located in London, GB
At a glance: A grand and highly decorative late Stuart portrait, this elegant 50 x 40 inch canvas depicts a young lady seated in a wooded landscape with her pet dog resting affectio...
Canvas, Oil
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H 37.8 in W 32.68 in D 2.37 in
Portrait of a Gentleman in a Red Coat and Periwig, c.1715-1725; Godfrey Kneller
By Sir Godfrey Kneller
Located in London, GB
Portrait of a Gentleman in a Red Coat and Periwig, c.1715-1725 Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646–1723) This portrait of a gentleman, presented by Titan Fine Art, is a fine and wel...
Canvas, Oil
Sold
H 37.01 in W 32.68 in D 2.37 in
Portrait Gentleman, William Clayton, 1st Baron Sundon, Studio of Godfrey Kneller
By Sir Godfrey Kneller
Located in London, GB
Portrait of a Gentleman, William Clayton, 1st Baron Sundon of Ardagh c.1695-1710 Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) This sumptuous portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, was ...
Canvas, Oil