Brief Biography-Sir Godfrey Kneller (born Kniller) was born at Lübeck in the duchy of Holstein in 1649. He first studied under Rembrandt in Amsterdam and later became a disciple of Ferdinand Bol, a former Rembrandt student. In Rome, Kneller studied under Carlo Maratti and established himself as a reputable portraitist in Venice. After a spell in Hamburg, he ventured to London, where the Duke of Monmouth introduced him to the court. King Charles II sat in Kneller’s house in Covent Garden for one of several portraits. With the demise of Sir Peter Lely, Kneller became the prime portraitist. Charles II selected him as state painter, as did James II, William II, Queen Ann, and George I. Emperor Leopold made him a Knight of the Holy Roman Empire. He lived in Covent Garden for twenty-five years and retired to Whitton House, Twickenham (now Kneller Hall), where he died in 1723. There stands a monument in his honour in Westminster Abbey.