Lord John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey of Ickworth, PC, MP (1696-1743) holding his Purse of...

Jean-Baptiste van Loo (Aix-en-Provence 1684 - Aix-en-Provence 1745) and Studio. Oil painting on canvas, Lord John Hervey, 2nd Baron Hervey of Ickworth, PC, MP (1696-1743) Holding his Purse of Office as Lord Privy Seal, by Jean-Baptiste van Loo (Aix-en-Provence 1684 - Aix-en-Provence 1745) and Studio, 1741. Inscribed: in black cursive script to the right of the chair-arm: The Rr Honble John Lord Hervey / Lord Privy Seal, one of the Lords / Justices & Guardians of the Kingdom / Eldest Son to John Earl of Bristol / 1741; bottom right, in white: JOHN LORD HERVEY Lord Privy Seal in the Reign of KING. GEORGE. 2nd. A full-length portrait of a man, turned slightly to the left, gazing at the spectator, seated on a blue velvet upholstered chair, his Purse of Office as Lord Privy Seal held almost upright on his right knee, wearing brown coat and breeches, white shirt, stock and hose, black buckled shoes. Short powdered wig, with centre parting. There is a table on the left, with blue velvet cloth on which lie his hat and gloves. A large blue drape with gilt braiding, is pulled back at the left to reveal some books. See also black and white print - ICK/P/253 (Ad.F.). Exhibited - New Galleries, Guelph, 1891, no.299. John, Lord Hervey (1696-1743) was the eldest son of John Hervey, 1st Earl of Bristol (1665-1751) and Elizabeth Felton, his second wife. In 1720 he married Mary Lepel, maid-of-honour to the Princess of Wales; father of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Earls of Bristol. He was an intimate of Queen Caroline, becoming Vice-Chamberlain in 1730 and Keeper of the Privy Seal (1740-2), afterwards joining the Opposition. A bitter pamphlet warfare took place between him and Pope, ending with the latter’s characterisation of him as ‘Sporus’ in the Epistle to Arbuthnot. His famous Memoirs of the Reign of George II were published in 1848, the family having destroyed some of the more shocking sheets. An admirable biography of him by Robert Halsband was published in 1973. Ickworth, Suffolk (Accredited Museum)