Thomas Papillon

Inscriptionback to top

Inscribed from old relining canvas (presumably copied from the original canvas), verso: Mr. Papillion/GKneller fct. 1698, GK in monogram.<sup>1

1</sup> Labels formerly verso:
Thos Papillon or Papillion of Papillon Hall, Lubenham, Co. Leics. b: 16 d. 1702. M.P. for Dover & London. Father of Lady Ward./Artist: Sir Godfrey Kneller//Bought back by Elizabeth Castleden Hunt:/d. of John Matthew Dove Esq. who bought .../old Hall & about 125 acres, on the sale of the/estate in 1914, for his son-in-law/Richard Hunt husband of the above/E.C. Hunt youngest son of Rowland/Hunt of Boreatton & Plaish Co./Salop.

Taken from/Boreatton Park/1867/to be returned

No 5 Picture/Dining Room/‘Boreatton Park’/Feby 1882.

in pencil: Thomas Papillion or Papillon of Papillon Hall,/Lubenham Co Leicester, b. 6 September 1623 d. 1702/Married Jane, dau: of Thomas Broadmax of Godmersham/Kent Esq. M.P. for Dover 1679-81-80, for London 1694-9/Artist Sir Godfrey Kneller.

This portraitback to top

The identification is confirmed by the portrait formerly with the Mercers’ Company and by the labels. A fine example of Kneller’s work, it merits comparison with the Dryden of 1697 at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Referenceback to top

Simon & Saywell (eds.) 2004
Complete Illustrated Catalogue, NPG, ed. J. Simon & D. Saywell, 2004, p 80.

Provenanceback to top

By descent from the sitter’s daughter Elizabeth who married Edward Ward; their daughter Jane who married Thomas Hunt of Boreatton Park, Salop., where listed in 1867; by descent to John R. Hunt; his sales, Christie’s, 17 March 1967, lot 47, and 31 July 1969, lot 11 (withdrawn), and Sotheby’s, 15 March 1978, lot 48, bought Leggatt for the NPG.

Exhibitionsback to top

Meeting of the Court, Mercers’ Company, 22 September 1978; Beningbrough 1978–.


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.

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