The Portraits of John Locke by and After Kneller

The Portraits of John Locke.

 

by and after Godfrey Kneller (d. 1723).

This post forms part of a much wider study into the portrait sculpture at Oxford University, with particular reference here to the lead Cheere type bust of John Locke at The Bodleian Library and the marble bust of Locke after Roubiliac by Edward Hodges Baily at Magdalen College, Oxford.

I am very grateful to Dana Josephson for suggesting the project and for all his assistance.

I would also like to thank Dr Nicolas Bell of the Wren Library, Sir David Clary, Lady Heather Clary and Rachel Mehtar at Magdalen College Oxford and Stephen Hebron of the Weston Library for making these posts possible.

John Locke.

Godfrey Kneller.

Formerly at Houghton.

Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg.

There were several copies of this painting made in the early 18th Century.

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John Locke. 

after Kneller.

The Vyne.

National Trust.

The drawing of the hair is different to the Kneller but is the same as that used in the John Smith Mezzotint of 1721 and the George Vertue engraving of 1738 (below).

John Locke.

National Portrait Gallery.

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A selection of engravings, all after Godfey Kneller's original portrait.

I include them to illustrate that the various bust made of John Locke had their basis in the Kneller portraits and its engravings.

John Locke.

 

after Godfrey Kneller.

George Vertue. 

1713.

Engraving.

251 x 162 mm.

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John Locke.

After Kneller.

Engraved Bernard Picart.

1721.

141 x 87 mm.

Rijksmuseum.

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John Locke.

After G. Kneller.

1720.

Engraved by George Vertue.

178 x 101 mm.

British Museum.

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John Locke.

After G. Kneller.

Mezzotint by John Smith.

1721.

347 x 351mm.

British Museum.

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John Locke.

After Godfrey Kneller.

George Vertue.

1738.

Engraving.

355 x 3225 mm.

Book Illustration from The Continuation of Mr Rapin's History of England.

British Museum.