Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet was a German-British painter. The leading portraitist in England during the late Stuart and early Georgian eras, he served as court painter to successive English and British monarchs, including Charles II of England and George I of Great Britain. Kneller also painted scientists such as Isaac Newton, foreign monarchs such as Louis XIV of France and visitors to England such as Michael Shen Fu-Tsung. A pioneer of the kit-cat portrait, he was also commissioned by William III of England to paint eight "Hampton Court Beauties" to match a similar series of paintings of Charles II's "Windsor Beauties" that had been painted by Kneller's predecessor as court painter, Peter Lely.
Self-Portrait, 1685, NPG London
Sir John Vanbrugh in Kneller's Kit-cat portrait, considered one of Kneller's finest portraits
Portrait of Isaac Newton in 1689
George I of Great Britain
George I was King of Great Britain and Ireland from 1 August 1714 and ruler of the Electorate of Hanover within the Holy Roman Empire from 23 January 1698 until his death in 1727. He was the first British monarch of the House of Hanover.
Portrait from studio of Godfrey Kneller, 1714
George in 1680, aged 20, when he was Prince of Hanover. After a painting by Godfrey Kneller.
George in 1706, when he was Elector of Hanover. After Johann Leonhard Hirschmann.
George c. 1714, the year of his succession, as painted by Godfrey Kneller