Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646–1723) - the greatest master of the English baroque portrait

Kneller was born Gottfried Kniller in Lübeck, Germany a son of Zacharias Kniller and his wife Lucia. His father was a painter and the Chief Surveyor of the city of Lübeck. Kneller studied in Amsterdam under Ferdinand Bol, one of Rembrandt’s pupils, before going to Italy in 1672.

He was in Rome and Venice until 1674, probably painting portraits of the Venetian nobility, before settling in England in 1676.

Arriving in England in 1674 or 1675, he soon established himself as a portrait painter, especially after he painted Charles II, and he succeeded the leading portraitist of the Restoration period, Sir Peter Lely, as principal painter to the king.

In 1684-5 Kneller was in France, painting Louis XIV for Charles II. Following the accession of William III and Mary II in 1689 he was appointed their principal painter jointly with John Riley.

Kneller popularized the Kit-Cat format for portraits (36 x 28 inches), named after his portraits of the members of the famous Whig dining club.

In 1704 he married Susanna Grave (nee Cawley) but had no children. By his mistress Mrs Voss he had a daughter Catherine.

In 1711 he became Governor of the first London Academy, and was re-elected annually until 1718.
Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646–1723) - the greatest master of the English baroque portrait
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