Unknown man, formerly known as John Radcliffe

This portraitback to top

Acquired as a portrait of the physician John Radcliffe (1650-1714), but it is difficult to reconcile with the only known contemporary portrait, by Kneller, in the Radcliffe Camera, Oxford. [1]
As Piper observed, this may show a Dutch sitter; the painter has been strongly influenced by Caspar Netscher.

Footnotesback to top

1) Inscribed verso the only originall of Dr John Radcliffe drawne 1712 ...; Mrs R. L. Poole, Catalogue of Portraits in the possession of the University, Colleges, City and County of Oxford, I, no.682; J. D. Stewart, Godfrey Kneller, 1983, no.598; engraved G. Vertue as signed and dated 1710.

Referenceback to top

Piper 1963
D. Piper, Catalogue of the Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery 1625-1714, 1963, pp 293-94.

Provenanceback to top

M. H. Milman; sold Christie's, 19 June 1911, lot 55 as Radcliffe by Closterman, bought Leggatt, from whom purchased 1911.

Exhibitionsback to top

Faces as Art, NPG, 1976, n.n..


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.