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John Riley

Paintings

 Painting - Portrait Of Edmund Waller Half-length In A Dark Coat And Lace Stock by John Riley

Portrait Of Edmund Waller Half-length In A Dark Coat And Lace Stock

 Painting - Portrait Of William Chiffinch Half-length by John Riley

Portrait Of William Chiffinch Half-length

 Painting - Lady Alice Brownlow Nee Sherard Three-quarter-length by John Riley

Lady Alice Brownlow Nee Sherard Three-quarter-length

 Painting - Portrait Of George 1st Baron Jeffreys Of Wem Judge Jeffreys by John Riley

Portrait Of George 1st Baron Jeffreys Of Wem Judge Jeffreys

John Rileyl

George Legge, 1st Baron Dartmouth

John Rileyl

William Chiffinch

John Rileyl

Portrait of Elias Ashmole

John Rileyl

Gilbert Burnet

John Rileyl

Frances Hales

John Rileyl

Sir John Maynard

John Rileyl

Edmund Waller

John Rileyl

William Chiffinch

John Rileyl

King Charles II

John Rileyl

Sir John Powell

John Rileyl

Sir Josiah Child, Bt

John Rileyl

John Somers, Baron Somers

John Rileyl

Portrait of Elias Ashmole

John Rileyl

Portrait of Charles II Stuart, king of England

John Rileyl

Francis North, 1st Baron Guilford

John Rileyl

Coast City , Sea View

John Rileyl

Richard Baxter

John Rileyl

Bridget Holmes

John Rileyl

Portrait Of Anne Sherard, Lady Brownlow (1659­1721)

John Rileyl

Portrait Of Thomas Brotherton

John Rileyl

Portrait Of Thomas Brotherton Wife, Margaret

John Rileyl

Portrait of Samuel Pepys

John Rileyl

Portrait of Thomas Fairfax, 5th Lord Fairfax

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Famous Artists - John Somers Baron Somers by John Riley

John Somers Baron...

John Riley, or Ryley, (1646 – March 1691) was an English portrait painter. He painted portraits of Charles II and James II, and was court painter to William III and Mary II. One of his pupils was Jonathan Richardson.Life and work

Riley was born in London, one of the sons of William Ryley, Lancaster Herald and keeper of the records in the Tower of London, who was created Norroy king-at-arms under the Commonwealth, but reverted to his herald's office at the Restoration. Another son, Thomas Riley, was an actor.

Riley studied painting under Isaac Fuller and Gerard Soest, and from the latter learnt a forcible, straightforward style of portraiture which rendered his portraits noteworthy. Riley did not attain much eminence until the death of Sir Peter Lely, when courtier and royal official Thomas Chiffinch sat for him, and was so much pleased with his portrait that he showed it to the king. Charles II gave Riley some commissions, and eventually himself sat for him, apparently saying of the result: "Is this like me? Oddsfish, then I'm an ugly fellow!"[1] Riley also painted James II and Mary of Modena, and, on the accession of William III and Mary II, he was appointed court painter, jointly with Sir Godfrey Kneller, though he only survived for three years after this.

Riley was said to be a quiet, modest man, very diffident of his own art, but his portraits are truthful and lifelike. With more self-confidence he might have attained to the position of Lely or Kneller. His most successful works are often said to be three unusual portraits of servants. He painted a grand full-length of Bridget Holmes dated 1686 in the Royal Collection. She was a "necessary woman" at court whose duties included emptying and scouring chamber pots and cleaning the royal apartments. She served during the reigns of Charles I, Charles II, James II, and William III and Mary II. Two other, smaller, portraits of servants are Katherine Elliot (also Royal Collection) and A Scullion in the Christ Church Picture Gallery, Oxford.[2]

He was assisted in painting (at least) his draperies and accessories by John Closterman, who finished several of Riley's pictures after his death.

Riley, who suffered very much from gout, died in March 1691, and was buried in the church of St. Botolph, Bishopsgate. The registers of this church contain various entries relating to his family, including the burial, on 11 January 1692–3, of his wife Jochebed.

Among Riley's pupils was Jonathan Richardson (1667–1745), who married a niece of Riley, and, being himself the master of Thomas Hudson (who was in his turn the master of Sir Joshua Reynolds), transmitted a truly national strain in the art of portraiture.
Notes

Lloyd, 112

Lloyd, 112

References

Lloyd, Christopher, The Queen's Pictures, Royal Collectors through the centuries, National Gallery Publications, 1991, ISBN 0947645896
"Riley, John". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

External links
John Riley online (ArtCyclopedia)
Portraits by John Riley (National Portrait Gallery, London)
Riley, John: The Scullion at Christ Church (1680s) (The Independent - 25 Jan 2008)
Portrait of King Charles II (Christie's)
Portrait of William Chiffinch (onlinegalleries.com)

Attribution

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Riley, John". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.

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