SIR GODFREY KNELLER, BT. | Portrait of a Captain with a celestial globe, three-quarter length, his ship beyond

Blanche S. Lynch, later Mitchell, by 1975;
Thence by descent to present owner.

The canvas has been relined. The paint surface is stable despite thinning in areas. Thin lines of loss caused by frame abrasion are visible to the naked eye along the left edge of the painting, and at the top right edge. Old retouching in the center right sky area has discolored, appearing inconsistent to the naked eye. A spot of old retouching has likewise discolored in the bottom left of the figure's blue coat. Under UV inspection, a milky varnish is difficult to read through. Areas of the sky and background fluoresce unevenly, and retouching is visible in the same spots that are also observable with the naked eye, as well as in small spots of the figure's blue coat and hair. The painting would probably benefit from restoration and a new varnish. Offered in a carved gilt wood frame with scattered small chips.
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The sitter for this interesting portrait is a Royal Naval captain from an aristocratic family, depicted in front of his single-captain ship. The celestial globe, an unusual motif in naval portraits, shows the constellations Ursa Major and Cancer, signifying November-December and perhaps indicating the date of a recent voyage. The cut of the captain's coat and its boot cuff, as well as his embroidered gloves and loose-hanging neckcloth, point to a date of circa 1720.¹ Kneller was the leading portraitist in late-17th and early-18th century England, and this painting dates from his mature period. In addition to the specifics of the ship, costume, and the celestial globe, Kneller included details like the captain's widow's peak, which has begun to grow back after he would have shaved it to accommodate his fashionable wig. 1. Pieter van der Merwe and Amy Miller of the National Maritime Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich, provided this information to the present owner in an email dated 1 November 2012.