Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington

Inscriptionback to top

Signed, lower left: GKneller (GK in monogram).

This portraitback to top

The Kit-Cat Club portrait. There is a small copy at Castle Ashby, and three drawings of this type by Edward Byng are in the British Museum. [1]

Footnotesback to top

1) E. Croft-Murray & P. Hulton, British Museum, Catalogue of British Drawings: XVI and XVII centuries, 1960, p 245 (1897.8.13.8; Byng 7:f.21v), p 248 (1897.8.13.8; Byng 7:f.41v), and p 260 (1897.8.13.9, 28).

Referenceback to top

Piper 1963
D. Piper, Catalogue of the Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery 1625-1714, 1963, p 382 as c.1710.

Stewart 1983
J. D. Stewart, Godfrey Kneller, 1983, no.853 as c.1710.

Exhibitionsback to top

Second Special Exhibition of National Portraits ( ... William and Mary to MDCCC), South Kensington, 1867, no.122.

Reproductionsback to top

P. Pelham 1722–26 (J. Chaloner Smith, British Mezzotinto Portraits, 8; reversed); J. Faber II 1734 (J. Chaloner Smith, British Mezzotinto Portraits, 208/21) with Garter ribbon and star.


This extended catalogue entry is from the National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Ingamells, National Portrait Gallery: Later Stuart Portraits 1685–1714, National Portrait Gallery, 2009, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.

View all known portraits for Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt

View all known portraits for Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington