Similar
Related
Sir Godfrey Kneller - Admiral Sir John Jennings, 1664-1743 RMG BHC2805
Summary
Admiral Sir John Jennings, 1664-1743
A three-quarter-length portrait to left in a rust-red velvet coat with silver embroidered button-holes and buttons. He has a brown full-bottomed wig and is leaning on a gun barrel, holding his baton in both hands. In the left background is a three-decker in action is implied, with a blue flag at the mizzen.
He commanded the 'Kent', 70 guns, on Rooke's expedition to Cadiz in 1702, and which was one of the ships that destroyed the Franco-Spanish fleet in Vigo Bay. In 1704 while serving on the 'St George', 96 guns, he played a conspicuous part in the action with the French off Malaga, for which he was knighted. Jennings was regarded as one of the greatest seamen of his age, despite having few opportunities to distinguish himself as a fighting fleet commander. As a vice-admiral and later Admiral of the White he was in command at Lisbon, 1708-10, was commander-in-chief in the Mediterranean in 1713 and a Lord of the Admiralty, 1714-27. In 1720 he was appointed Ranger of Greenwich Park and Governor of Greenwich Hospital, the last man to combine the posts and live in the Queen's House although he was occasionally at sea until 1727. In 1714 the Hospital bought an 11-ton block of marble taken from the French by Rooke, reportedly for a statue of William III which was never made, and in 1735 Jennings personally paid Rysbrack £400 to carve it into a statue of George II. This was installed that year in the Grand Square, where it remains although now badly eroded. Jennings was the Hospital's longest-serving Governor and died in office in 1743.
This portrait is one of nine by Kneller and seven by Michael Dahl commissioned by Queen Anne and her husband and Lord High Admiral, Prince George of Denmark, of the leading admirals of her reign (1702-14). When presented to Greenwich Hospital in 1824 by George IV, the set also included a three-quarter-length portrait of George himself in Garter robes by Dahl. All were transferred to the Museum's care as part of the Greenwich Hospital Collection except the portrait of George, which remains on loan to the Old Royal Naval College from the Hospital.
Admiral Sir John Jennings, 1664-1743
Godfrey Kneller, born Gottfried Kniller, was indeed a prominent German-born English portrait painter of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He was born on 8 August 1646 in Lübeck, Germany, and later anglicised his name to Godfrey Kneller after settling in England. Kneller's work consisted mainly of portraits of British royalty, aristocrats and prominent figures of his time. He gained considerable recognition and became the leading portrait painter in England during the reigns of William III and Queen Anne. His notable works include portraits of King William III, Queen Anne and many members of the British aristocracy and intellectual elite. Kneller's style was influenced by the Dutch and Flemish schools of painting and he was known for his skilful depiction of his subjects with a sense of grandeur and elegance. Throughout his career, Kneller received many commissions and honours, including being appointed Principal Painter to the Crown by King William III in 1688. He was also a founder member of the Kit-Cat Club, a prominent 18th century London club for Whig politicians and intellectuals. Godfrey Kneller died in London on 19 October 1723, leaving a legacy of influential portrait painting in late Baroque England. His works are still celebrated for their depiction of the political and cultural elite of his time.
Tags
Date
Source
Copyright info
