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Thomas Ken

1 of 7 portraits by F. Scheffer

Thomas Ken, by F. Scheffer, circa 1710 -NPG 1821 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Later Stuart Portraits Catalogue

Thomas Ken

by F. Scheffer
circa 1710
29 3/4 in. x 24 3/4 in. (756 mm x 629 mm)
NPG 1821

This portraitback to top

Although facing front (as apart from being turned half left), the execution of the head sufficiently resembles that seen in the other portraits of Ken by or attributed to Scheffer to warrant the attribution. To judge by his appearance, all were painted in the Bishop’s final years, after he had been deprived.

Referenceback to top

Ingamells 1981
J. Ingamells, The English Episcopal Portrait 1559-1835, catalogue, 1981, p 253 as unknown artist.

Piper 1963
D. Piper, Catalogue of the Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery 1625-1714, 1963, p 185 as attributed to Scheffer.

Simon & Saywell (eds.) 2004
Complete Illustrated Catalogue, NPG, ed. J. Simon & D. Saywell, 2004, p 349 as by Scheffer.

Provenanceback to top

1 Wickham family, rectors of Horsington; presented by James D. C. Wickham,2 Holcombe, Bath, 1918.

1 Four MS labels formerly verso, now separately preserved: 1) Bishop Ken … from Horsington Rectory/lent by Revd. Hill Wickham 2) This is supposed to be the portrait of Gilbert [Ironside, d. 1671] … Bishop of Bristol … time from Thos. Wickham [c.1657-1724] the first Wickham who was rector of Horsington. The Bishop died An. D.1671/HDW. 18.6/It is now believed to be the portrait of Bp. Ken HW 1870. 3) … veral family portraits … Horsington Lodge inharited … /m family and now … /These portraits were … /ectory Horsington … /to be the likenesses … 4) illegible.
2 Who wrote he was ‘the 8th Rector [of Horsington] of the Wickham family & name’ (letter on file, 20 June 1918).

Exhibitionsback to top

Lyme Park 1983–.


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 Thomas Ken