Hampton Court Beauties on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Hampton Court Beauties are a series of eight portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller, commissioned by Queen Mary II of England, depicting the most glamorous ladies from the court of William III. They adorn the state rooms of King William III at Hampton Court Palace.
They were probably originally commissioned to hang in the "water room" at Hampton court, however after his wife's death in 1694, William moved them to "the eating room downstairs" where they currently hang.
Hampton Court also houses the
Margaret Cecil, Countess of Ranelagh (1672–1727),
Carey Fraser, Countess of Peterborough (c.1658–1709),
Mary Scrope, later Mrs Pitt (born 1676),
Diana De Vere, Duchess of St Albans (1679–1742),
Lady Mary Bentinck, Countess of Essex (died 1726),
Mary Compton, Countess of Dorset (1669–1691)
''The Independent'': Carry on, your majesty: Charles II and his court ladies
Paintings by Godfrey Kneller 1690s paintings Hampton Court Palace Sets of portraits {{17C-painting-stub
The Hampton Court Beauties are a series of eight portraits by Sir Godfrey Kneller, commissioned by Queen Mary II of England, depicting the most glamorous ladies from the court of William III. They adorn the state rooms of King William III at Hampton Court Palace.
They were probably originally commissioned to hang in the "water room" at Hampton court, however after his wife's death in 1694, William moved them to "the eating room downstairs" where they currently hang.
Hampton Court also houses the Windsor Beauties
The Windsor Beauties are a set of portrait paintings, still in the Royal Collection, by Sir Peter Lely and his workshop, produced in the early to mid-1660s, that depict ladies of the court of King Charles II, some of whom were his mistresse ...
by Sir Peter Lely, depicting the most beautiful ladies of the court of King Charles II of England, a generation before. However unlike the Windsor Beauties, the Hampton Court Beauties were not mistresses of the King, but attendants to Queen Mary. In contrast to the three quarter sized Windsor beauties, they are more formally posed, and full length. They are of a plainer, less erotic style reflecting a more moralistic society, and the desire to "rebrand" the monarchy accordingly.
Later critics such as Hazlitt and Fuseli
Henry Fuseli ( ; German: Johann Heinrich Füssli ; 7 February 1741 – 17 April 1825) was a Swiss painter, draughtsman and writer on art who spent much of his life in Britain. Many of his works, such as '' The Nightmare'', deal with supernatu ...
still found them problematic, Hazlitt describing them as "painted, tawdry", and by 1835 the earlier set of "bold meritricious hussies" had been sent from Windsor to join them at the more informal setting of Hampton Court. Both sets were part of the exhibition "The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned''"'' in 2012.
The Hampton Court Beauties
Isabella Bennet, Duchess of Grafton (1667–1713),Margaret Cecil, Countess of Ranelagh (1672–1727),
Carey Fraser, Countess of Peterborough (c.1658–1709),
Frances Whitmore
Frances Whitmore (1666–1695) was a British courtier.
Frances was one of the Hampton Court Beauties painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller for Queen Mary II.
She was styled Dame Frances Myddelton.
Family
Her father was Sir Thomas Whitmore, (son of Sir ...
, Lady Middleton (1666–1694),Mary Scrope, later Mrs Pitt (born 1676),
Diana De Vere, Duchess of St Albans (1679–1742),
Lady Mary Bentinck, Countess of Essex (died 1726),
Mary Compton, Countess of Dorset (1669–1691)
See also
* TheWindsor Beauties
The Windsor Beauties are a set of portrait paintings, still in the Royal Collection, by Sir Peter Lely and his workshop, produced in the early to mid-1660s, that depict ladies of the court of King Charles II, some of whom were his mistresse ...
Notes
References
External links
''The Independent'': Carry on, your majesty: Charles II and his court ladies
Paintings by Godfrey Kneller 1690s paintings Hampton Court Palace Sets of portraits {{17C-painting-stub