The title of Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King or Queen of England or, later, Great Britain, was awarded to a number of artists, nearly all mainly portraitists. It was different from the role of

Serjeant Painter The Serjeant Painter was an honourable and lucrative position as court painter with the English monarch. It carried with it the prerogative of painting and gilding all of the King's residences, coaches, banners, etc. and it grossed over £1,000 ...

, and similar to the earlier role of " King's Painter". Other painters, for example

Nicholas Hilliard Nicholas Hilliard () was an English goldsmith and limner best known for his portrait miniatures of members of the courts of Elizabeth I and James I of England. He mostly painted small oval miniatures, but also some larger cabinet miniatures, ...

had similar roles with different titles. "Principal Painter in Ordinary", first used for

Sir Anthony Van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (, many variant spellings; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Brabantian Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh ...

, became settled as the usual title with John Riley in 1689. The title reflected those used in other courts, especially the French '' Premier peintre du Roi'', which dated to 1603. After the death of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...

in 1901, the appointment of the last and not very distinguished holder,

James Sant James Sant (1820–1916) was a British painter specialising in portraits and known particularly for images of women and children and artistic exploration of the symbolism of childhood. He was a member of the Royal Academy. George Sant and Sarah ...

, who was in his eighties, was not renewed for the new reign. The following is a partial list of painters (in chronological order) who held the appointment of Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King, or Queen:

Born 16th or 17th century

(Flemish, 1599–1641), Principalle Paynter in Ordinary to King Charles I and his Queen (1632, at a £200 per annum retainer, plus payment for pictures made) *

Sir Peter Lely Sir Peter Lely (14 September 1618 – 7 December 1680) was a painter of Dutch origin whose career was nearly all spent in England, where he became the dominant portrait painter to the court. Life Lely was born Pieter van der Faes to Dutch ...

(Dutch, 1618–1680), Limner and Picture Drawer to King Charles II (1661, also £200 per annum) * John Riley (1646–1691), Painter and Picture Drawer, 1681–1689, then Principal Painter in Ordinary, 1689–1691, jointly with Kneller *

Antonio Verrio Antonio Verrio (c. 1636 – 15 June 1707) was an Italian painter. He was responsible for introducing Baroque mural painting into England and served the Crown over a thirty-year period.British Art Journal, Volume X No. 3, Winter/Spring 2009/10 ...

(Italian, 1636–1707), Chief First Painter, 1684–1688 *

Sir Godfrey Kneller Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet (born Gottfried Kniller; 8 August 1646 – 19 October 1723), was the leading portrait painter in England during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and was court painter to English and British monarchs from ...

(German, 1646–1723), Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King, 1689–1723 (1689–1691 jointly with Riley) *

Charles Jervas Charles Jervas (also Jarvis and Jervis; c. 1675 – 2 November 1739) was an Irish portrait painter, translator, and art collector of the early 18th century. Early life Born in Shinrone, County Offaly, Ireland around 1675, the son of John J ...

(1675–1739), Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King, 1723–1739 *

William Kent William Kent (c. 1685 – 12 April 1748) was an English architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer of the early 18th century. He began his career as a painter, and became Principal Painter in Ordinary or court painter, bu ...

(1685–1748), Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King, 1740–1748, mainly a designer of interior decorations

Born 18th century

John Shackleton John Shackleton (? - 14 or 16 March 1767, London) was a British painter and draughtsman who produced history paintings and portraits. His parents and origins are unknown. Output Shackleton painted several surviving portraits, for example of H ...

(1714–1767), Principal Painter in Ordinary to King George II and then King George III, 1749–1767 * Allan Ramsay (1713–1784), Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King, 1767–1784 * Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792), Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King, 1784–1792 * Sir

Thomas Lawrence Sir Thomas Lawrence (13 April 1769 – 7 January 1830) was an English portrait painter and the fourth president of the Royal Academy. A child prodigy, he was born in Bristol and began drawing in Devizes, where his father was an innkeeper at ...

(1760–1830), Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King, 1792–1830 * Sir David Wilkie (1785–1841), Principal Painter in Ordinary to King William IV and then Queen Victoria, 1830–1841 * Sir George Hayter (1792–1871), Principal Painter in Ordinary to Queen Victoria, 1841–1871

Born 19th century

(1820–1916), Principal Painter in Ordinary to Queen Victoria, 1871–1901

Similar titles

Van Dyck's appointment, like that of Kneller, was specifically to both the king and queen, but later ones normally only mentioned the monarch. Queen consorts sometimes made their own appointments. In 1796, when Lawrence was Principal Painter in Ordinary to the King,

William Beechey Sir William Beechey (12 December 175328 January 1839) was an English portraitist during the golden age of British painting. Early life Beechey was born at Burford, Oxfordshire, on 12 December 1753, the son of William Beechey, a solicitor, an ...

was "Portraitist" to Queen Charlotte, and also

John Hoppner John Hoppner (4 April 175823 January 1810) was an English portrait painter, much influenced by Reynolds, who achieved fame as a brilliant colourist. Early life Hoppner was born in Whitechapel, London, the son of German parents – his moth ...

was "Portrait Painter to the Prince of Wales", having succeeded Sir Joshua Reynolds.Dias, Rosie
"1796: Portraiture after Reynolds"
in ''The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition: A Chronicle, 1769–2018'' Other occasional positions created included the "Flower Painter in Ordinary" (during the reigns of Queen Adelaide and Queen Victoria), "Miniature Painter in Ordinary", and "Marine Painter in Ordinary" (Queen Victoria). Sir

Francis Bourgeois Sir Peter Francis Lewis Bourgeois RA (November 1753 – 8 January 1811) was a landscape painter and history painter, and court painter to king George III of the United Kingdom. In the late 18th century he became an art dealer and collector in ...

was appointed as royal landscape painter by George III in 1791. Her Majesty's Painter and Limner is part of the Royal Household in Scotland.

Self-portrait gallery

Anthonis van Dyck 034.jpg, Self portrait of Sir Anthony van Dyck (1623) Peter Lely Selfportrait.jpg, Sir Peter Lely self-portrait (1660) Godfrey Kneller Selfportrait.jpg, Self Portrait of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1685) William Kent.jpg, Self portrait of William Kent Allan Ramsay, Selbstportrait.jpg, Self portrait of Allan Ramsay (1737) Joshua Reynolds Self Portrait.jpg, Self portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1776) Sir Thomas Lawrence01.jpg, Self portrait of Sir Thomas Lawrence David Wilkie.jpg, Self portrait of Sir David Wilkie Self portrait by Sir George Hayter 1843 v3.jpg, Self Portrait of Sir George Hayter (1843) James Sant, by James Sant.jpg, Self Portrait of James Sant (1884)

References

{{Reflist Positions within the British Royal Household English painters * 1632 establishments in England