Godfrey Kneller | Collections | Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in Nashville, TN
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Godfrey Kneller
Sir Godfrey Kneller rose from modest beginnings to become the most sought-after portrait painter in England from the reigns of Charles II (1660-1685)to Queen Anne 1702-1714).  Borrowing from Dutch and British painting traditions, Kneller united rich color and lush, tactile, luster to capture glamorous portrayals of his sitters.  His allegorical depictions of court ladies and sophisticated representations of aristocratic men captured the elegance and refinement of the Baroque era in England.

Godfrey Kneller was born in Lübeck, Germany, in 1646.  While attending the University of Leyden to prepare for a military career, his attraction to painting grew.  In 1668, he traveled to Holland, where he apprenticed with Ferdinand Bols, a former student of Rembrandt van Rijn.  After absorbing the warm, earthy palette and expressive brush of the Dutch manner, Kneller moved south to Italy in 1670.  In Rome, he studied architecture with famous Italian Baroque sculptor, Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, which enabled him to develop an acute sense of proportion.  He then mastered portraiture through an apprenticeship with Italian artist, Carlo Maratti, a court painter for Louis XIV.  Finally, he completed his education in Venice while he operated his own studio.  Although his studio became an immediate success with wealthyVenetian clientele, he returned to Germany in 1675 upon his father’s death.

With assured prosperity awaiting him, Kneller decided to return to Italy permanently.  Before settling, he and his brother, John Zachary (also a painter) traveled to London in 1676 to study British collections.  While taking commissions during their stay, Kneller again became instantly popular, this time among the British aristocracy.  His reputation for impeccably orchestrated portraits soaring, he and his brother decided to remain in England.  

After the death of Charles II’s court painter, Sir Peter Lely, in 1680, Kneller was immediately selected as his replacement.  However, his reputation did not linger just within the British Isles, but also disseminated throughout Europe.  High acclaim of his talent awarded him knighthood, first in England in 1692, and later in the Holy Roman Empire.  He is most known for his portraits of court affiliates, generals and members of an 18th century literary circle called the Kit Kat Club.  Kneller’s style became the standard to which many generations of artists aspired.
(Luebeck, Germany, 1646 – 1723, Trickenham, England)
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