Sylvester Petyt

Inscriptionback to top

Signed, lower left: R Van Bleeck (RVB in monogram).

This portraitback to top

In 1710 the Principal and Ancients of Barnard’s Inn subscribed fifteen shillings each to pay for a portrait of Petyt by Richard van Bleeck, [1] presumably NPG 719.
The Petyt brothers appear to have been particular patrons of van Bleeck; apart from the two of Sylvester described here, there is one of William Petyt (Government Art Collection, 3663) and one of Sir John Holt, commissioned by Sylvester, see NPG 718. A second portrait of Sir John Holt to whom Sylvester was one time clerk, sold Christie’s, 11 June 1999, lot 30, shows a pose identical to NPG 719.

Footnotesback to top

1) Angela and Anthony Petyt, op. cit., ‘Short Biography of Silvester Petyt’.

Referenceback to top

Piper 1963
D. Piper, Catalogue of the Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery 1625-1714, 1963, p 277.

Provenanceback to top

Commissioned 1710 by Barnard’s Inn,¹ by whose Principal and Ancients presented to the NPG 1884.

¹ Seen in Barnard’s Inn before 1736 by Vertue (G. Vertue, Notebooks, Wal. Soc., XXIV, 1936 p 34).

Reproductionsback to top

G. White 1715 (Silvester Petyt/de Hospitio Barnardiensi apud London Generosus/Unusque ex ejusdem Senioribus et nuper Principalis Ano.Dom.MDCCI/r. vbleeck pinx. G. White fec. (J. Chaloner Smith, British Mezzotinto Portraits, 34), with family arms.<sup>1

1</sup> Arg. a lion rampant gu., with inset, az. pheon ar., and motto: Qui s’estime Petyt deviendra Grand.


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 Sylvester Petyt