Unknown man, formerly known as Henry Sidney, Earl of Romney

Inscriptionback to top

Signed, lower left: ...ller ft/1700

This portraitback to top

Sold in 1913 as the 1st Duke of Devonshire, an identity correctly rejected by Holmes in 1916. He then proposed Henry Sidney, Earl of Romney (1641-1704), 'the handsomest youth of his time', but, as Piper later suggested, comparison with authentic portraits (including the Kneller of c.1690-95 at Penshurst), is not convincing.

Referenceback to top

Holmes 1915
C. J. Holmes, Burl. Mag. XXVIII, 1916, pp 87-88.

Piper 1963
D. Piper, Catalogue of the Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery 1625-1714, 1963, p 301 as called Earl of Romney.

Stewart 1983
J. D. Stewart, Godfrey Kneller, 1983, no.619 called Earl of Romney.

Provenanceback to top

Anon. sale, Christie's, 19 December 1913, lot 57 as the Duke of Devonshire, bought Colnaghi, from whom purchased 1914.

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 Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt