King George I

This portraitback to top

NPG 488, a pair with the sitter's daughter Sophia Dorothea (NPG 489), is a small copy deriving ultimately from Kneller's whole length of 1714. The type may have been transmitted by Faber junior's engraving of the painting after 'D. Stevens', 1722 (J. Chaloner Smith, British Mezzotinto Portraits, 1878-83, 154, II), itself deriving from the Kneller.

Physical descriptionback to top

Dark brown eyes, wig to below his left shoulder; Garter collar over coronation robes, a fold over his left arm; green background; lit from left.

Conservationback to top

Varnish yellowed; slight loss of paint round the edges.

Provenanceback to top

Bought 1877, from C. H. Waters.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, 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 King George I

View all known portraits for Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt