Portrait of James II of England

Portrait of James II of England
ArtistGodfrey Kneller
Year1684
MediumOil on canvas, portrait painting
Dimensions245.6 cm × 144.1 cm (96.7 in × 56.7 in)
LocationNational Portrait Gallery, London

Portrait of James II of England is a 1684 portrait painting by the German-born British artist Godfrey Kneller.[1] It depicts the future James II, then Duke of York and heir to his brother Charles II.[2]

He is shown dressed as Lord High Admiral, a position he had been forced to resign from during the Exclusion Crisis of 1673 but had lately been effectively restored to by his brother during the Tory Reaction of the early 1680s. The crown, orb and sceptre were added in after he became king.[3] The following year James succeeded his brother but only reigned until 1688 when he was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution. He spent the remainder of his life in France and Ireland as his Jacobite supporters attempted to restore him to the throne.

Today it is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London, having been acquired in 1882.[4] Isaac Beckett produced a mezzotint based on Kneller's portrait.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Brennan p.73
  2. ^ Callow p.182
  3. ^ Allen p.95
  4. ^ https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitExtended/mw03423/King-James-II?
  5. ^ https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1902-1011-118

Bibliography

  • Allen, Brian. The British Portrait, 1660-1960. Antique Collectors' Club, 1991.
  • Brennan, Laura. James II & VII: Britain's Last Catholic King. Pen and Sword History, 2023.
  • Callow, John. The Making of King James II: The Formative Years of a Fallen King. Sutton, 2000.
  • Piper, David. Catalogue of the Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery 1625-1714. 1963
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