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Group portrait of Abraham Stanyan (1669-1732) and family (?)

Maker

Formerly attributed to
(artist)
1646-1723

Title

Date of Production

1646 - 1723

Medium

red, white and black chalk on red-brown prepared laid paper, laid down

Dimensions

Height: 30.5 cm
Width: 45 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.2111

Mode of Acquisition

Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

Kneller here is working out the composition of a group portrait, using three colours of chalk on a mid-toned paper in order to study the distribution of light and shade across the figures.

Notes

Kneller, born in Germany and trained in Amsterdam, became the court painter of Charles II in 1680 after the death of the prominent portrait painter Sir Peter Lely.

Provenance

Sotheby's (London); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), L.2228b, n.d.; Witt Bequest 1952

Literature

Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 30

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: Recto, right centre: posthorn inside crowned shield above "4" above monogram "WR"; Countermark: Recto, left centre: letters made of double lines: "HR" (not found in Heawood, though other combinations and similar marks found, chiefly in Dutch papers of first half of 18th century).

Collector's mark: Verso (backing sheet): lower right corner, stamped in black: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).

Inscription: Verso (original sheet, only visible via torch), lower right, graphite? hard to read: "L B J / 15 [...] K [?]". Verso (backing sheet): upper right corner, graphite: "#9".

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