{"product_id":"early-18th-century-after-sir-godfrey-kneller-oil-portrait-of-king-william-iii","title":"Early 18th Century After Sir Godfrey Kneller Oil Portrait of King William III","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBritish School, Early 18th Century — After Sir Godfrey Kneller\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePortrait of King William III Wearing Royal State Robes\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eMonumental Late Stuart Oil Portrait with Order of the Garter Insignia\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHighlights\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Monumental early-18th-century oil portrait of King William III.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• British School work based upon the official royal portraiture of Sir Godfrey Kneller.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Oval oil-on-canvas composition within a substantial gilt frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• William wears an ermine-lined royal mantle over a pale court coat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Finely painted falling lace cravat and long dark allonge periwig.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Full ceremonial Collar of the Order of the Garter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Great George pendant depicting Saint George slaying the dragon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Closely related to a comparable 18th-century portrait sold at Bonhams Edinburgh.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Professionally examined, documented and conserved in 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Accompanied by specialist condition and treatment reports with conservation photographs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Scottish provenance through Lindsay Burns \u0026amp; Company of Perth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Privately loaned and exhibited at The Famous Lord Hill Museum.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Overall framed height of approximately 104 cm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Supplied with a Certificate of Sale \u0026amp; Dealer Attribution from Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntroduction\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis imposing British royal portrait presents King William III in the elaborate visual language of late Stuart sovereignty.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePainted during the early 18th century after an established portrait type associated with Sir Godfrey Kneller, the work depicts William bust-length against a subdued background. His formal countenance, dark flowing periwig and opulent ceremonial costume create an image intended to project authority, stability and dynastic legitimacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilliam wears a pale silver-grey court coat and richly worked falling lace cravat beneath an ermine-lined mantle painted in warm golden-brown and russet tones. The costume is completed by the magnificent Collar of the Order of the Garter, with its distinctive sequence of roses and gold knots. The Great George hangs below, showing England’s patron saint mounted above the defeated dragon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe portrait has been professionally examined and treated by a fine-art conservator. It is accompanied by detailed conservation documentation and displayed within a large decorative gilt frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Details\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArtist: Unidentified British School artist\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAssociated artist: Sir Godfrey Kneller\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCatalogue designation: After Sir Godfrey Kneller\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTitle: Portrait of King William III Wearing Royal State Robes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSitter: King William III, formerly William of Orange\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSitter’s dates: 1650–1702\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDate of artwork: Early 18th century\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePeriod: Late Stuart to early Georgian\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMedium: Oil on canvas\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCanvas history: Historically lined\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShape: Oval\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSubject category: British royal and historical portraiture\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCostume: Royal state robes, ermine-lined mantle, court coat and falling lace cravat\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChivalric insignia: Collar and Great George of the Order of the Garter\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSignature: Unsigned\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConservation: Examined and treated professionally during June and July 2026\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrame: Associated decorative gilt frame of rectangular form with an oval opening\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDisplay: Framed and ready to hang\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCatalogue Note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe King’s head is turned slightly while his gaze remains directed towards the viewer. This combination of controlled movement and direct engagement gives the portrait a restrained but commanding presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKneller’s recognised image of William III was repeated in numerous formats to meet the demand for representations of the new sovereign following the Glorious Revolution. The anonymous painter responsible for this version adopted the familiar facial type, formal wig and ceremonial presentation associated with those official portraits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe face is illuminated against the dark background, allowing the King’s pale complexion and distinctive features to emerge with clarity. Fine craquelure across the flesh and costume records the painting’s considerable age.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilliam’s long allonge periwig descends in dark curls on either side of the face. At his throat is a falling lace cravat ornamented with scrolling floral motifs, its ivory and silver-grey tones contrasting with the surrounding brown and black.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe robe crossing the lower composition is painted with geometric and foliate decoration in warm brown, russet and gold. Pale ermine with dark markings appears around the shoulders and lower edge, signifying royal status.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Garter collar provides the portrait’s strongest colour accents. Red roses sit within blue-grey circular garters and alternate with intricately painted gold knots. Below the collar is the Great George: a small sculptural representation of Saint George on horseback attacking the dragon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe costume therefore communicates several interconnected forms of authority—the splendour of royal state dress, the historic symbolism of ermine and William’s position as sovereign of the Order of the Garter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo armour is visible in the portrait, and the costume is more accurately described as royal state robes rather than specifically coronation robes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Sitter\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilliam was born at The Hague in 1650 into the Dutch House of Orange. Through his mother, Mary, Princess Royal, he was a grandson of King Charles I.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe married his cousin, the future Mary II, in 1677. During the political and religious crisis of 1688, William landed in England with a Dutch-led force. James II subsequently fled, and William and Mary accepted the Crown as joint monarchs in 1689.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe constitutional settlement surrounding their accession strengthened the authority of Parliament and helped shape the subsequent development of Britain’s constitutional monarchy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWilliam was also a central figure in European opposition to Louis XIV. Following Mary’s death in 1694, he continued as sole sovereign until his own death in 1702.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRoyal portraits were essential instruments of public representation during his reign. Repetitions of officially approved compositions were displayed in government buildings, aristocratic houses and institutions throughout Britain and its wider territories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Order of the Garter\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Order of the Garter was founded by Edward III and remains Britain’s highest and oldest order of chivalry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ceremonial collar shown here is composed of roses encircled by the Garter and linked by gold knots. The pendant Great George represents Saint George, England’s patron saint, mounted on horseback and slaying the dragon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs sovereign, William served as head of the Order. Its insignia reinforced his relationship with English royal tradition and medieval chivalric authority following his accession as a Dutch-born monarch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe collar also gives the painting much of its decorative richness, its red roses and gold links standing prominently against the pale court dress and warm state mantle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Artist\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSir Godfrey Kneller dominated British court portraiture around the turn of the 18th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn in Lübeck as Gottfried Kniller, he studied in Continental Europe before arriving in England during the 1670s. His ability to produce dignified and recognisable likenesses secured the patronage of the royal family and leading members of society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKneller became Principal Painter to the Crown and portrayed a succession of British monarchs from Charles II through to George I. His official images of William III and Mary II helped define the public appearance of the joint monarchy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSuccessful royal compositions were produced in multiple versions by Kneller, members of his studio and later followers. They were also distributed through mezzotints and engravings, enabling the royal likeness to circulate widely.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis portrait is designated “After Sir Godfrey Kneller”. The term identifies its clear dependence upon the artist’s established portrait type while avoiding an unsupported claim of direct authorship or studio participation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRecorded Comparison\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn especially close comparison appeared at Bonhams Edinburgh on 16 October 2014 in The Autumn Antique and Picture Sale, Lot 94.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBonhams described that painting as an 18th-century bust-length portrait of King William III after Sir Godfrey Kneller. Like the present work, it was an oval oil on canvas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Bonhams portrait measured 71.4 × 63.2 cm and sold for £1,250 including premium.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe present painting was measured by its conservator at approximately 73.5 × 63 cm. Its nearly identical width, related scale and matching composition demonstrate that both works belong to the same established family of Kneller-derived portraits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey are regarded as separate paintings based upon the same or a closely related prototype.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProvenance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Private Scottish collection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Lindsay Burns \u0026amp; Company, Perth, Scotland, 2026; offered as After Sir Godfrey Kneller, Portrait of King William III.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Acquired and curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Professionally examined and conserved by Vanessa Andrew M.A., Fine Art Conservator, Cheshire, June–July 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExhibition History\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e• Privately loaned and exhibited at The Famous Lord Hill Museum during late July 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConservation History\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA formal professional Condition Report was prepared by Vanessa Andrew M.A., Fine Art Conservator, on 29 June 2026.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe examination established that the original canvas had previously been lined onto a secondary canvas of coarse weave. An additional oval support had been placed over the wooden strainer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUV fluorescence examination identified historic restoration and overpainting, particularly within the dark background. The paint surface displayed extensive craquelure, including areas of raised cracking connected with the historic lining.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeveral generations of varnish were recorded. Although the removable upper layer could be addressed, an older substantially discoloured coating was considered difficult or unsafe to remove fully and was retained.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProfessional treatment completed in July 2026 comprised surface cleaning, selective varnish removal, removal of small later paint deposits, filling of losses, conservation varnishing and localised retouching. The canvas turnover edge was also secured to the strainer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe accompanying documentation includes photographs taken before treatment, during cleaning and following completion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePainting, as recorded by the conservator:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeight: Approximately 73.5 cm or 28.9 inches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWidth: Approximately 63 cm or 24.8 inches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeasurement recorded by the previous auctioneer:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApproximately 70 × 51.5 cm or 27.6 × 20.3 inches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall framed size:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHeight: Approximately 104 cm or 40.9 inches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWidth: Approximately 86 cm or 33.9 inches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe difference between the auction-catalogue and conservation measurements is noted for transparency. All stated dimensions are approximate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition Report\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe portrait is offered in professionally conserved condition appropriate to its early-18th-century date.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn extensive age-related craquelure pattern remains visible throughout. Areas of raised cracking are associated with the historic canvas lining, while previous retouching and overpainting are particularly evident within the dark background.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConservation performed in 2026 included surface cleaning, selective removal of later varnish, treatment of small losses, localised retouching and the application of conservation varnish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA deeply aged varnish layer remains following professional assessment and contributes warmth to the existing colour balance. The original colour of the costume may consequently be lighter or cooler than its present golden-brown appearance suggests.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe decorative frame has received alterations, historic repairs and more recent restoration. It exhibits age-related wear, retouching and overpainting but remains imposing and suitable for display.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe frame is described as associated with the portrait and is not guaranteed to be original.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe complete photographic record, professional Condition Report and Treatment Report should be reviewed as part of the condition assessment. Additional photographs are available upon request.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShipping\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorldwide shipping is available.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe painting’s large dimensions and substantial frame require careful handling. It will be professionally protected and fully insured for domestic or international delivery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease contact us for a destination-specific shipping quotation or to discuss specialist delivery requirements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCertificate of Sale \u0026amp; Dealer Attribution\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe artwork will be supplied with a Certificate of Sale \u0026amp; Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®, recording the artwork’s catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated, and details of the sale. This document accompanies the work as part of its ongoing ownership and provenance record.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAttribution and Research Notice\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe historical observations, provenance research, attribution analysis and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, comparative research, published reference material and our experience within the international fine art market.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than definitive statements of fact or guarantees of authorship, attribution, date, origin, provenance or historical interpretation. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpecialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAdditional photographs and further information are available upon request.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57154487157114,"sku":"CAK-SK-0506","price":9800.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0201\/2227\/1808\/files\/Vpx4ao-OHIyNpMYPmvLumQI_0_gps_generated.png?v=1786289255","url":"https:\/\/cheshireantiquesconsultantltd.com\/en-ie\/products\/early-18th-century-after-sir-godfrey-kneller-oil-portrait-of-king-william-iii","provider":"Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD","version":"1.0","type":"link"}