First Previous 1 OF 14 NextLast

George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem

1 of 14 portraits of George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem

© National Portrait Gallery, London

3 Likes voting
is closed

Thanks for Liking

Please Like other favourites!
If they inspire you please support our work.

Buy a print Buy a greetings card Make a donation Close

George Jeffreys, 1st Baron Jeffreys of Wem

by John Michael Wright
oil on canvas, 1675
47 3/4 in. x 39 3/4 in. (1213 mm x 1010 mm)
Purchased, 1989
Primary Collection
NPG 6047

On display in Room 7 on Floor 3 at the National Portrait Gallery

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

Linked publicationsback to top

  • Smartify image discovery app
  • Ingamells, John, Later Stuart Portraits 1685-1714, 2009, p. 133
  • Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 335
  • Simon, Jacob, The Art of the Picture Frame: Artists, Patrons and the Framing of Portraits in Britain, 1997 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 8 November 1996 - 9 February 1997), p. 55, 154 Read entry

    Carved and gilt oak, the back roughly cut with a slight chamfer, mason's mitre with signs of repair, the top cresting of one piece, the back frame replaced. 3 3⁄ 4 to 5 inches wide, the bottom mask 6 1⁄ 2 inches.

    This is a fine example of the Sunderland frame in its fully developed form with an irregular sight edge, which was popular in the 1670s. The type is found on other examples of Wright's work, for example his portraits of Mrs Herbert at Claydon, Colonel John Russell at Ham (a portrait of 1659 in a slightly later frame) and Sir John Corbet at the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, as well as on the work of other artists, especially that of Sir Peter Lely as at Althorp, Ham and Kingston Lacy.

    Many Sunderland frames of this type were made by the leading carver and gilder John Norris. He supplied the first of the frames for Wright's 'Fire Judges' for the Guildhall in 1671, in a heavy variation on the design. The frame on this portrait of Judge Jeffreys remains undocumented, however.

Events of 1675back to top

Current affairs

James Scott, Duke of Monmouth oversees the suppression of the London weavers' riots which break out in the East End against the introduction of mechanised silk looms.
The great fire of Northampton quickly destroys the city. Charles II donates timber for its reconstruction.

Art and science

Charles II founds the Royal Observatory in Greenwich and appoints John Flamsteed the first Astronomer Royal.
Royal approval is given to the 'Warrant' design, Sir Christopher Wren's design for the rebuilding of St. Paul's Cathedral devastated by the Great Fire (1666).

International

A naval campaign into the Mediterranean under the command of Sir John Narbrough, with protégé, Cloudesley Shovell as lieutenant, blockades the port of Tripoli and successfully halts persistent attacks on English merchant ships by North African pirates. A peace treaty is signed with Tripoli in 1676.

Comments back to top

We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.

If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.