Lot 18: GEORGE KNAPTON (1698-1778)

GROUP PORTRAIT OF THREE CHILDREN, THREE-QUARTER-LENGTH, IN A WOODED LANDSCAPE, THE ELDEST HOLDING A PEACH SIGNED AND DATED 'KNAPTON 1754' (LOWER LEFT) OIL ON CANVAS 301/2 X 353/4 IN. (77.5 X 90.8 CM.) NOTES GEORGE KNAPTON, BORN IN LONDON IN 1698, WAS APPRENTICED TO THE ARTIST JONATHAN RICHARDSON (C.1665-1745) AND ATTENDED THE ACADEMY AT ST MARTINS LANE. ON HIS RETURN FROM ITALY IN 1732, HIS WORK WAS MUCH SOUGHT-AFTER AND IN 1736 WAS APPOINTED A FOUNDATION MEMBER AND OFFICIAL PAINTER OF THE DILETTANTI SOCIETY. A VERY LARGE GROUP OF 'THE PRINCESS OF WALES AND HER EIGHT CHILDREN' (1751) IS IN THE ROYAL COLLECTION.