Portrait of a Lady Anne Spencer Countess of Sunderland (1683-1716) by the leading late seventeenth and early eighteenth century court artist Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723)
This fine work reveals the intimacy of Kneller’s approach to court beauties. Of particular note are the sitters delicately rendered features and her captivating eyes. In addition, the colours used by the artist in the drapery and his virtuoso brush strokes are both remarkably well preserved.
Lady Anne Churchill (1682-1716) When Lady Anne Churchill was born on 27 February 1682, in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England, her father, John Churchill 1st Duke of Marlborough, was 31 and her mother, Sarah Jennings, was 21. She married Sir Charles Spencer 3rd Earl of Sunderland 2nd Duke of Marlborough on 2 January 1699, in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom. They were the pa
...rents of at least 6 sons and 5 daughters.
As an English court official and noble Anne held the office of Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Anne from 1702-1712. She died on 15 April 1716, in Great Brington, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom, at the age of 34, and was buried in Daventry, Northamptonshire, England.
Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet (1646 – 1723) Kneller was born Gottfried Kneller in the Free City of Lübeck , the son of Zacharias Kniller. Kneller studied in Leiden, but became a pupil of Ferdinand Bol and perhaps Rembrandt himself in the 1660s. He was in Rome and Venice between 1672 and 1675, settling in England in 1676 for the remainder of his life.
Kneller was soon employed at Court and rapidly became the most successful portraitist during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His work exuberantly expresses the spirit of the English Baroque, and his style greatly influenced other artists. He enjoyed the office of Principal Painter to the King, at first jointly with John Riley (d.1691), from shortly after the accession of William and Mary in 1688 until his death.
Kneller founded a studio which produced portraits en masse and to a formulaic model which started with a sketch of the face with details added later, this was helped somewhat by the penchant for wig wearing amounts gentlemen of the time. He was knighted in 1692 and became a baronet in 1715, he died of fever in 1723 and his remains were interred in the church of St. Mary''s in Twickenham.
This fine oil on canvas is in an excellent state of conservation and is ready to hang in a later gilded antique style ‘Carlo Maratta’ frame.
Provenance: The Museum of Fine Arts Boston (as D’Agar) Private collection Los Angeles.
Higher Resolution images on request.
Worldwide shipping available.
Canvas: 29'' x 21'' / 74cm x 53..5cm.
Frame: 38'' x 30'' / 96cm x 76cm.
Price: £11950
Antique ID Number (AIDN): SA1195785
Dateline of this antique is 17th Century
Height is 96cm (37.8inches)Width is 76cm (29.9inches)Depth is 3cm (1.2inches)
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