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Description: | Acquisition: gift from John Potter, 1750 Description: Whole length, standing slightly to left; short white wig; bands; white rochet and lawn sleeves with ruffles; black chimere and scarf; his right hand held before him, his left at his side holds a fold of his robe; square cap on table with a dark green cover to left; in background to right, dark green curtain lined with red; baroque altarpiece of a church to left including whole-length sculpture of masked figure holding a rod. Frame surmounted by bishop's mitre and cartouche with impaled shield of arms of the See of Canterbury on the left hand side (as viewed), with the Archbishop's personal coat of arms on the right. Inscribed in cartouche on bottom of frame 'IOHN POTTER D.D/ Regius Professor of Divinity,/ and/ Bishop of Oxford;/ afterwards/ Archbishop of Canterbury/ 1747'. Given to the University by the sitter's son in 1750: 'I.O.H. Potter S.T.P. Archi-Episcopi Silius, Effigiem Patris sui Donavit.' ('Registrum Benefactorum', for the year 1750, Library Records b.903, Bodleian Library, II, p.202) Transferred to the Examination Schools in 1926: 'Read a letter from Bodley's Librarian offering two large portraits, one of Archbishop Potter and the other of Sir Hans Sloane, to the Schools. It was resolved that the offer be accepted.' (Minutes of the Curators of the Schools, 7 Dec 1926, 1914-[1952], Oxford University Archives, ES/1/1/2, p.81) George Vertue composed a verse tribute to a portrait of Archbishop Potter by Joseph Highmore painted in 1742: ' "To England's Honor Hymore's name & merrit. he only Nature paints. Life truth & spirit." In 1744, after seeing Hudson's portrait he wrote "since that Mr. Hudson's has painted his Graces picture with some other advantages. & Van Achen ... dressing ... the same Lines may be turned over to him ... " ' (cited in E. Miles, 'Thomas Hudson (1701-1779): Portraitist to the British Establishment', 2 vols, PhD thesis, 1976, Yale University, 1, p.168) Ellen Miles noted further that 'this portrait is the only instance in which Van Aken's contribution is documented by Vertue for a specific painting' (ibid.) Hudson, he noted, was having 'at present a great Run - his pictures being dressed and decorated by Mr. Joseph Van Aken - who is a very elegant and ingenious painter. serves & helps him and other painters to dress and set off their pictures to advantage he having an excellent free Gentell and florid manner of pencelling Silks Sattins Velvets. Gold laceings Carvings &c' (G. Vertue, Note Books, III, Walpole Society XXII, 1934, p.123) The figure on the altarpiece suggests, perhaps, a reference to the martyrdom of Thomas à Becket. External Link: Oxford Portraits website | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: by Thomas Hudson | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=902... | Go to resource |
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