John Smith after Sir Godfrey Kneller

Richard, Lord Clifford and Lady Jane his Sister

18.5 x 24.5 inches

Mezzotint portrait by Smith after Kneller; published in London in 1701.

Smith and Kneller were the perfect combination of engraver and artist at the end of the C17th and the beginning of the C18th. Kneller trusted John Smith to reproduce the quality of his paintings in mezzotint and in turn Smith rarely disappointed. Between them they popularised their portraits and made a reasonable fortune. This double portrait of the young Lord Clifford and his sister is a charming example of his work. Although it is Lady Jane who holds the basket of flowers in this picture it was her brother Richard, later 3rd Earl of Burlington, who was to become famous for his taste in gardening and architecture. Both the flowers and the imposing architecture in the background foretell the earl's destiny.