Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt.

Commissioned from the artist by Charles Townshend, 2nd Viscount Townshend (1674-1738), Raynham Hall, Norfolk;
Thence by family descent until sold in the Townshed Heirloom sale, London, Christie's, 5 March 1904, lot 84 (95 gns. to Colnaghi);
With Colnaghi, London;
Lady Alice Townshend (d. 1965) by whom sold London, Christie's, 4 July 1947, lot 7 (to Wiggins for £12-12);
With Arnold Wiggins & Sons Ltd., London;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 12 April 1991, lot 6 where acquired by the present owner.

London, Tate Gallery, The Swagger Portrait, 14 October 1992 - 10 January 1993, no. 18.

J. D. Stewart, Sir Godfrey Kneller and the English Baroque Portrait, Oxford 1983, no. 762, p. 134;
A. Wilton, The Swagger Portrait: Grand Manner Portraiture in Britain from van Dyck to Augustus John 1630-1930, exhibition catalogue, London 1992, no. 18, pp. 98-9, reproduced.

The picture is in fairly good condition, with no apparent extant damage or loss of paint. The canvas has been lined and the blue pigments of the dress are a little worn. There are also minor scuff marks in the foreground. The picture is warmer and lighter that the catalogue illustration suggests. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals strengthening in the blue and minor scattered retouchings in the background, especially in the foreground. There I a patchy opaque varnish overall. The picture is held in an impressive carved and gilded British Baroque frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482.
"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."

Elizabeth was the only daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Pelham, later 1^st Lord Pelham of Laughton, and his first wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir William Jones of Ramsbury Manor, Attorney General to King Charles II. On 3 July 1698 she married Charles, 2^nd Viscount Townshend (1674-1738), of Raynham, Norfolk, who after Eton and King’s College, Cambridge, took up parliamentary affairs. He was sent as Ambassador to the Hague between 1709-11 and was instrumental in negotiating a treaty for the Hanoverian succession with the States General. Upon his return to England he acted as intermediary for the Hanoverian Court, becoming one of the regents nominated by the Elector and he was also given the post of Secretary of State for Northern matters. Throughout his life he took a keen interest in agriculture which earned him the sobriquet of ‘Turnip’ Townshend for the experiments and improvements that he carried out on his estate in Norfolk. During their thirteen year marriage, he and Elizabeth remained devoted to one another and were rarely separated. Together they had nine children, although only five of the children survived to adulthood, the eldest of whom Charles succeeded as 3^rd Viscount in June 1738. Painted by Kneller in the late 1690’s, this picture, presumably intended as a marriage portrait, follows the pattern established in his famous set of Hampton Court Beauties painted contemporaneously for Mary II which are now at Hampton Court (Royal Collection).