Godfrey Kneller

1646-1723

Godfrey Kneller dominated English portraiture for nearly half a century. Born in Lübeck and trained under Rembrandt in Amsterdam, he arrived in England in 1676 and swiftly became indispensable to the court, serving as principal painter to Charles II, William III, Anne, and George I. His genius lay in efficiency: a formulaic approach that let him sit fourteen sitters daily, yet his portraits set the standard for generations. He pioneered the kit-cat format—those distinctive 28 by 36 inch canvases—and painted the Hampton Court Beauties for Queen Mary II. His studio turned out hundreds of images of politicians, poets, and scientists from Newton to Louis XIV. Knighted in 1692 and created a baronet in 1715, he founded an academy and held office as a magistrate. He died in London in 1723, his influence lasting well into the age of Hogarth and Reynolds.