Edmund Lilly (painter) facts for kids

Edmund Lilly (also spelled Edmund Lilley or Edmond Lilly) was an English painter. He was active around 1695 and died in 1716. He was most famous for painting portraits of people.

Who Was Edmund Lilly?

Edmund Lilly came from Norfolk, a county in England. He was known for painting different kinds of art. These included historical scenes and everyday objects. However, none of these specific works are known to exist today.

Painting for the Queen

As a portrait painter, Lilly was very popular with Queen Anne. She hired him often, both before and after she became Queen in 1702. Queen Anne seemed to prefer Lilly's style. She liked it more than the styles of other famous painters like Godfrey Kneller and Michael Dahl.

The Queen asked Lilly to paint large, official portraits of herself and her family. Copies of these paintings were then made for important noble families. One example is a portrait from around 1698. It shows the Queen's son, the Duke of Gloucester. This painting is signed by Lilly and is now at Windsor Castle.

Queen Anne sat for Lilly at least two times after she became Queen. A very important painting is the full-length portrait at Blenheim Palace. A print of this painting, called a mezzotint, was made by John Simon. Some people in the 1800s thought this painting was not very good. But later, an art expert named Richard Jeffree called it the "most grandiose" (grandest) of Anne's official portraits. He said it showed the influence of another artist, John Closterman.

Other Important Paintings

Lilly painted other notable works too. One is a strong portrait of Edward Tyson from around 1695. This painting is now at the Royal College of Physicians. He also painted Jeremy Collier, which was also made into a mezzotint print by William Faithorne the Younger.

Lilly's last known paintings are from 1707. They are portraits of Sir Whitmore Acton and Lady Acton. These paintings were sold at Christie's in 1929. They remind some people of the style of Johann Kerseboom.

His Later Life

Edmund Lilly was buried in Richmond, Surrey, on May 25, 1716. His wife, Katherine Hindley, survived him. In his will, which was approved on July 11, 1716, Lilly left his property to his relatives. He also left several paintings to his nephew. His will even listed the names and sizes of these paintings. They included portraits, religious scenes, and mythological subjects.

Images for kids

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  Queen Anne, 1703, Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire

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  William, Duke of Gloucester, c. 1698, Windsor Castle

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  Edward Tyson, c. 1695, Royal College of Physicians, London