Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.

STRUCTURE The painting has a slightly firm lining, which is providing a stable support for the painting. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in fairly good condition. There is a dry and discoloured varnish overall, which is thin and slightly worn in the upper right and left. There are small scattered minor retouchings visible in the lower section of the canvas, and there is a small area of paint loss in the extreme lower centre of the canvas. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals scattered retouching to old flaking overall and infilling to craquelure in the sitter's face and costume. This infilling is particularly prevalent in the lower left corner of the painting, to the base of the pedestal, as well as up the left hand edge of the canvas, along the frame, above and to the left of the sitter's head, and to the right of the sitter's neck and to areas of the hair. FRAME Held in a gilded wood and plaster frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The sitter was the only surviving son of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722) and his wife Sarah Jennings. His godfathers were his mother's Roman Catholic brother-in-law, Lord Tyrconnel, and Sidney Godolphin, later 1st Earl of Godolphin. He was educated at Eton where he showed great promise. His wish had been to join his father's regiment but his mother was concerned at the risk and so he was persuaded to go to Kings College, Cambridge. From Cambridge he had often visited his godfather Godolphin in Newmarket and Godolphin wrote to the Duchess on 13th October 1703, "I do assure you without flattery or partiality that he was not only the most agreeable but the most free-thinking and reasonable creature that one can imagine for his age". Whilst at Cambridge, he contracted smallpox and died at the early age of seventeen.

Another version of this painting is in the Marlborough Collection (Blenheim Palace), and was engraved by John Smith c.1695, in which the sitter wears contemporary dress (see J. Douglas Stewart, Sir Godfrey Kneller, London 1983, p. 95, no. 97). This painting appears to be an unrecorded variant.