Enoch Seeman facts for kids

A self-portrait of Seeman made around 1708

Enoch Seeman the Younger (born around 1689, died April 1745) was an English painter. He worked during the first part of the Georgian era, a time when kings named George ruled Britain. Enoch came from a family of artists in a city called Danzig.

A Painter's Life

Around 1704, Enoch Seeman the Younger moved to London. His father, also named Enoch, brought him from Danzig. His father was also a painter.

One of Enoch the Younger's first known paintings is from 1708. It's a group picture of the Bisset family. He painted it in a style similar to another famous artist, Godfrey Kneller. You can find this painting today at Castle Forbes in Scotland.

Painting for Royalty

Enoch became a painter for the British royal family. Around 1730, he painted portraits of King George II and his wife, Queen Caroline. These special pictures were made for their coronation (when they officially became king and queen). Today, you can see them at Windsor Castle in England. They are part of the Royal Collection.

In 1734, Seeman painted a portrait of Jane Pratt Taylor. She was the daughter of a very important judge, Lord Chief Justice John Pratt. This painting was sent all the way to Virginia in America. It became part of a large collection of portraits owned by William Byrd, II at Westover Plantation. Now, the painting is kept at the Virginia Historical Society.

Other Famous Works

The Metropolitan Museum in New York, USA, owns one of his paintings. It shows Sir James Dashwood. Experts have called this painting "exceptionally lively."

Enoch also painted a portrait of Abraham Tucker in 1739. This painting is now at the National Portrait Gallery, London. He also made copies of older portraits from the 1500s and 1600s. The National Trust owns two of these copies. One is at Dunham Massey Hall in England, showing Lady Diana Cecil. The other is at Belton House, showing Lady Cust and her nine children.

A portrait of Lady Caroline D'Arcy, who was the Countess of Ancram, was sold in 2000. It used to hang in Hornby Castle, North Yorkshire.

Who Painted What?

For a while, people thought Enoch the Younger painted a portrait of King George I at Middle Temple. But now we know his father, Enoch Seeman the Elder, painted it. It's also very likely that the 1717 portrait of Elihu Yale at Yale University Art Gallery was painted by his father, not by Enoch the Younger, even though it was once thought to be his.

Some art experts believe Enoch the Younger's paintings were not as detailed as those by other top artists. They noticed that the faces in his portraits, especially of men, sometimes looked less unique.

Enoch Seeman the Younger passed away in London in April 1745.

Gallery

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  George II of Great Britain

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  George Brudenell, 3rd Earl of Cardigan

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  Thomas Davers

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  Sir James Dashwood

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  John Campbell, 3rd Earl of Breadalbane and Holland

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  Abraham Tucker

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  Elihu Yale