First Previous 2 OF 8 NextLast

Endymion Porter

2 of 8 portraits of Endymion Porter

© National Portrait Gallery, London

 Like 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

Endymion Porter

by William Faithorne, published by Thomas Rowlett, after William Dobson
line engraving, circa 1646 (circa 1643-1645)
11 1/2 in. x 8 1/8 in. (292 mm x 205 mm) paper size
Given by the daughter of compiler William Fleming MD, Mary Elizabeth Stopford (née Fleming), 1931
Reference Collection
NPG D22906

Sitterback to top

Artistsback to top

  • William Dobson (1611-1646), Portrait painter. Artist or producer associated with 50 portraits, Sitter in 9 portraits.
  • William Faithorne (circa 1620-1691), Engraver and draughtsman. Artist or producer associated with 720 portraits, Sitter associated with 4 portraits.
  • Thomas Rowlett (active 1636-died 1652), Publisher. Artist or producer associated with 7 portraits.

This portraitback to top

This engraving of the courtier and connoisseur Endymion Porter is based on one of Dobson's finest portraits. The three-quarter-length oil painting shows Porter receiving a trophy of the hunt as he rests on a carved relief of the Arts. It is a celebration of the pleasures of peace painted in the midst of war. A confidant to the king and a Catholic sympathiser, Porter was reviled by Parliamentarians. At the time this print was produced he was exiled to France. Interestingly, the fourth print engraved by Faithorne for Thomas Rowlett was of the leading Parliamentarian Sir Thomas Fairfax, commander of the New Model Army.

Related worksback to top

  • NPG D20268: Endymion Porter (from same plate)
  • NPG D22905: Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex (from same plate)

Placesback to top

Portrait setback to top

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1646back to top

Current affairs

First civil war ends. Under Thomas Fairfax, Commander-in-Chief, Parliamentarians defeat Royalist armies in the last major conflicts of the war, the Battles of Torrington and Stow-on-the-Wold. The subsequent fall of Royalist Oxford forces Charles I to flee and he surrenders himself to the Scots at Newark.

Art and science

Portrait painter, William Dobson, returns to London after the defeat of the king and is briefly imprisoned for debt. He dies in poverty aged thirty-five.

International

Instructed by Charles I, James Butler, Marquess of Ormonde resumes negotiations with the Irish Confederates attempting to raise troops for the royalist cause. The resulting First Ormonde Peace, though publicly proclaimed, is eventually rejected by the Confederates on account of papal ambassador, Archbishop Rinuccini's considerable influence.

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.