John Riley
(1646-1691), Portrait painterSitter in 1 portrait
Artist associated with 101 portraits
John Riley began practising painting at a young age, which probably meant he was independently wealthy. He became a fashionable society portrait painter. At the height of his success, in the 1680s, Riley charged £40 for a full-length portrait, a considerable amount of money at this time. In 1689, together with Godfrey Kneller, he was appointed Principal Painter to King William III and Queen Mary, though there are no known portraits by him of either as sovereign.
John Riley; Egbert van Heemskerk the Younger
by Alexander Bannerman, after John Riley, and after Egbert van Heemskerk the Younger
line engraving, circa 1762
NPG D36123
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