Sir John Vanbrugh

Sitterback to top

• Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726), Architect and dramatist. Sitter associated with 11 portraits.

Artistback to top

• Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (1646-1723), Portrait painter. Artist associated with 1666 portraits, Sitter associated with 30 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Both Kneller and the architect and dramatist John Vanbrugh were members of the Kit-cat Club, a club established by the publisher Jacob Tonson, which originally met in a tavern near Temple Bar kept by Christopher Cat and from 1703 onwards sometimes met in Tonson's house at Barn Elms near Putney. It was essentially a drinking club but, as often happens in clubs, attracted a group of like-minded individuals united by politics (they were almost all Whigs) and by intellectual and artistic interests. So this portrait is not only a record of a great architect, painted when he was at the height of his career, presumably soon after he received the commission to design Blenheim Palace, but also a record of friendship between the painter and the sitter.

Related worksback to top

• NPG D11513: Sir John Vanbrugh (source portrait)
• NPG D20308: Sir John Vanbrugh (source portrait)
• NPG D33121: Sir John Vanbrugh (source portrait)

Linked publicationsback to top

• Ingamells, John, Later Stuart Portraits 1685-1714, 2009, p. 304
• Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery: An Illustrated Guide, 2000, p. 81
• Saumarez Smith, Charles, The National Portrait Gallery, 1997, p. 81
• Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 629

Portrait setback to top

• The Kit-cat Club portraits: paintings by Sir Godfrey Kneller, circa 1697-1721

Subject/Themeback to top

• On display at the Gallery