Portrait of a Gentleman, English C.1730, Attributed to John Vanderbank (1694-1739)

Superb large 18th century English old master portrait of a gentleman. The sitter has been depicted wearing a blue coat with gold buttons and elaborate brocade sleeves and waistcoat. His powdered wig is fashionably tied with a black bow at the back, and his tricorn hat is placed under his left arm.

The portrait is in excellent condition having recently been sensitively and lightly cleaned. This process has removed years of discoloured varnish and debris and now reveals the true colour and the fine brushwork of the artist. This is the work of the extremely talented painter, John Vanderbank who had an important impact on English art, and is accredited with the introduction of the living model and drawing classes for promising students such as Hogarth and Highmore. According to Vertue he “…would have carried all before him after the death of Kneller had it not been for his dissipated way of life”. Had Vanderbank not lived such a careless life of debauchery, it has been said that he might have “made a greater figure than almost any painter this nation had produced; so bold and free was his pencil, and so masterly his drawing”.

The technique of John Vanderbank is distinct among portraitists of the early 18th century. He trained under Sir Godfrey Kneller in 1711 and his painting style followed on from the vigour and grand style of Kneller. The present picture, in excellent condition, is one of Vanderbank’s most attractive male portraits. His work is characterised by a more bold pigmentation, particularly in the flesh, where hot pink and cool grey-green (or green-red) are used, or where mid-tones are represented by unpainted areas of grey-green primer. These are attributional tools in recognising his work.

A portrait of John Bourchier (1710–1759) by Vanderbank circa 1732 (Beningbrough Hall, North Yorkshire, England) depicts the sitter in near identical dress with the blue coat, elaborate russet and orange brocade sleeves and waistcoat, and white tied wig.

John Vanderbank (1694-1739) was born in London into an artistic family at the close of the 17th century. The son of John Vanderbank Senior, the well known royal tapestry weaver, Vanderbank studied painting first with his father and the portrait painter Jonathan Richardson. He was one of Godfrey Kneller's earliest pupils at the Academy of Painting from 1711, and in 1720, when Kneller’s academy began to decline, started his own Academy of painting in St. Martin's Lane with Louis Cheron. In 1738 the engraver and antiquary George Vertue wrote 'Mr John Vanderbank has of late or some years had a gret run of Busines - painting persons of Quality and distinction ...'.

A truly stunning, attractive and highly detailed portrait of high quality. Presented in a fine excellent condition ornate frame.

Provenance: UK private collection

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