An anonymous work, this portrait is dated to c.1715-20, a period that also encompasses Charles Jervas’ portrait for the Royal Society, two Kneller portraits and another by Murray.
This portrait’s first recorded auction outing was in 1985, but only eight years ago it was offered at Bonhams, where as part of the ‘Newton and the History of Science’ library of Rupert & Maria Boas Hall, it was estimated at £3000-4000 but sold for £24,000.
On March 9 it came to auction once again, this time at Bonhams New York (25/20/12% buyer’s premium), where the selling price was a mid-estimate $55,000 (£45,230).
