Page:An Elementary History of Art.djvu/632

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602 Painting Marlborough ; Newton and Locke ; Sir Christopher Wren ; Pope, Addison, Steele, Congreve, and other members of the celebrated Kit Cat Club. About thirty of his portraits were included in the Exhibitions at Manchester and at South Kensington. At Hampton Court may be seen eight (there were originally twelve) of the Series of " Hampton Court Beauties," painted by Kneller for Queen Mary, in rivalry with the more celebrated " Windsor Beauties " of Lely, which now hang in a neighbouring room. By the side of the German Kneller, were other foreigners : Michael Dahl (1656 — 1743), a native of Stockholm, was patronized by Queen Anne, and was popular as a portrait painter. Antonio Verrio (1634 — 1707), born in the Neapolitan States, charmed England by his architectural paintings. From 1676, he was in the pay of Charles II., and in a few years cost the king nearly 10,000 guineas for the decoration of Windsor Castle. In 1683, he was joined by a Frenchman, Louis Laguerre. His father was a Catalan, and held the post of keeper to the menagerie at Versailles. When Verrio died at Hampton Court, Laguerre continued the work until he himself died in 1721. The number of decorative works these two men painted in England is truly wonderful, not only in public buildings, at Windsor Castle, at Hampton Court, at the Hospitals of Christ Church and St. Bartholomew, but also in the town and country residences of the nobility. Towards the close of his career, Laguerre had as an assistant an Englishman ; James Thornhill (1676—1734), who was born at Mel- combe Regis. In his youth he visited France, and appears to have there formed his style, especially on that of Le