Portraits Of An English Couple From The 18th Century, Godfrey Kneller (1646 – 1723) Entourage

Godfrey Kneller (Lübeck 1646 – London 1723) entourage of

Pair of portraits of an English couple from the 18th century
William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield (1705 – 1793) and Lady Elizabeth Finch (?)

Oil on canvas

76 x 63 cm
Framed 91 x 77 cm

A couple of English spouses are immortalised in our two portraits, both dressed in a refined but not overly ostentatious manner, revealing their membership of an aristocratic or upper middle-class family, presumably from early 18th-century London.

The subjects pose naturally as they look at the viewer, aware of their rank, their lips moved by a delicate smile, in keeping with the pictorial convention of the time, which required painters to hint at emotions without making them explicit and therefore vulgar.

Although there are no inscriptions revealing the identities of those depicted, based on comparisons with some prints of the time, we are inclined to recognise William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield (1705–1793), a British judge, politician and lawyer, best known for his reforms of English law. Considered the most prominent British jurist of the 18th century, Mansfield's decisions reflected the Enlightenment and led the country towards the abolition of slavery. At his side is his wife, Lady Elizabeth Finch, youngest daughter of Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham and 7th Earl of Winchilsea, and Anne Hatton.

This is a type of portrait commissioned by the nobility, especially in England, between the 17th and 18th centuries, where the sitter liked to be seen stripped of their trappings, without pompous clothes, fashionable accessories or elaborate hairstyles, in order to show that their status and value did not depend solely on the material wealth displayed with opulence.

The paintings can easily be linked to an English painter active in the early 18th century, particularly from the school of Sir Godfrey Kneller, official painter to the English court and considered, together with Peter Lely and Willem Wissing, one of the masters of English portraiture between the 17th and 18th centuries. Among these, the painters James Worsdale (1692 - 1767) and Charles Jervas (1675 - 1739) are worthy of mention.

He painted every British sovereign from King Charles II to King George I, as well as the most important figures in British society and public life. These works, displayed publicly in royal palaces, were admired and so appreciated by the public that a large number of patrons, mainly nobles, wanted his workshop to take care of their family portraits.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The works are sold complete with two attractive gilded wooden frames and come with a certificate of authenticity and guarantee.

We take care of and organise the transport of the purchased works, both in Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to view the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, where we will be delighted to welcome you and show you our collection of works.

Please contact us, without obligation, for any further information.

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