''Portrait of James II of England'' is a 1684

portrait painting Portrait painting is a Hierarchy of genres, genre in painting, where the intent is to represent a specific human subject. The term 'portrait painting' can also describe the actual painted portrait. Portraitists may create their work by commissio ...

by the German-born British

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

Godfrey Kneller Sir Godfrey Kneller, 1st Baronet (born Gottfried Kniller; 8 August 1646 – 19 October 1723) was a German-born British painter. The leading Portrait painting, portraitist in England during the late Stuart period, Stuart and early Georgian eras ...

. It depicts the future James II, then

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of List of English monarchs, English (later List of British monarchs, British) monarchs ...

and heir to his brother Charles II. He is shown dressed as Lord High Admiral, a position he had been forced to resign from during the

Exclusion Crisis The Exclusion Crisis ran from 1679 until 1681 in the reign of King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland. Three Exclusion Bills sought to exclude the King's brother and heir presumptive, James, Duke of York, from the thrones of England, ...

of 1673 but had lately been effectively restored to by his brother during the Tory Reaction of the early 1680s. The

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

, orb and

sceptre A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a Staff of office, staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of regalia, royal or imperial insignia, signifying Sovereignty, sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and M ...

were added in after he became king. The following year James succeeded his brother but only reigned until 1688 when he was overthrown in the

Glorious Revolution The Glorious Revolution, also known as the Revolution of 1688, was the deposition of James II and VII, James II and VII in November 1688. He was replaced by his daughter Mary II, Mary II and her Dutch husband, William III of Orange ...

. He spent the remainder of his life in France and Ireland as his Jacobite supporters attempted to restore him to the throne. Today it is in the collection of the

National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, having been acquired in 1882. Isaac Beckett produced a

mezzotint Mezzotint is a monochrome printmaking process of the intaglio (printmaking), intaglio family. It was the first printing process that yielded half-tones without using line- or dot-based techniques like hatching, cross-hatching or stipple. Mezzo ...

based on Kneller's portrait.https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1902-1011-118

References

Bibliography

* Allen, Brian. ''The British Portrait, 1660-1960''. Antique Collectors' Club, 1991. * Brennan, Laura. ''James II & VII: Britain's Last Catholic King''. Pen and Sword History, 2023. * Callow, John. ''The Making of King James II: The Formative Years of a Fallen King''. Sutton, 2000. * Piper, David. ''Catalogue of the Seventeenth Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery 1625-1714''. 1963 1684 paintings Paintings by Godfrey Kneller Paintings in the National Portrait Gallery, London Cultural depictions of James II of England {{1680s-painting-stub

See also

References

Bibliography