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John Smith holding print by John Smith of Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt

14 of 30 portraits of Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt

© National Portrait Gallery, London

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John Smith holding print by John Smith of Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt

by John Smith, after Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt
mezzotint, 1716 (1696)
13 1/2 in. x 10 1/8 in. (343 mm x 258 mm) plate size; 15 1/8 in. x 11 1/2 in. (385 mm x 293 mm) paper size
Reference Collection
NPG D1340

Sittersback to top

  • Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (1646-1723), Portrait painter. Sitter associated with 30 portraits, Artist or producer associated with 1689 portraits.
  • John Smith (1652-1743), Engraver. Sitter in 4 portraits, Artist or producer associated with 1181 portraits.

Artistsback to top

  • Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (1646-1723), Portrait painter. Artist or producer associated with 1689 portraits, Sitter associated with 30 portraits.
  • John Smith (1652-1743), Engraver. Artist or producer associated with 1181 portraits, Sitter in 4 portraits.

This portraitback to top

John Smith was able to advance his career because of his friendship with Godfrey Kneller, who kept him supplied with portraits to copy, and whose subjects would often then become Smith’s customers. In around 1688–90 Smith made a mezzotint of one of Kneller’s self-portraits and, in return, Kneller painted Smith’s portrait, in which he holds his print of Kneller’s self-portrait. To complete the cycle, Smith made a mezzotint of Kneller’s painted portrait of him, which is the print shown here.

Related worksback to top

  • NPG D9001: John Smith holding print by John Smith of Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (from same plate)
  • NPG D11491: John Smith holding print by John Smith of Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (from same plate)
  • NPG D6782: John Smith holding print by John Smith of Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (from same plate)

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1716back to top

Current affairs

Failure of the Jacobite rebellion. John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll disperses the remainder of the Jacobite troops. The Pretender, James Stuart, flees to France. Jacobite leaders James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater and William Gordon, 6th Viscount of Kenmure are executed.
Septennial Act extends life of parliament from three to seven years.

Art and science

Artist Philip Mercier settles in England from Paris.
Physicist and Astronomer Royal Edmond Halley suggests a precise measurement of the distance between the Earth and the Sun by timing the transit of Venus.

International

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu leaves for Turkey with her husband who takes up the post of Ambassador to Constantinople. While there she writes a series of letters, observing contemporary Turkish life, later to be published as the celebrated Turkish Embassy Letters.
Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI has a son, but the child dies within the year.

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