William Cowper (1665?–1723), 1st Earl Cowper

This additional portrait of William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper at the Bodleian Libraries represents one of the multiple versions that Kneller's studio produced of important political figures whose portraits were in demand for institutional and personal collections. The Lord Chancellor's portrait was required for Oxford's institutional collections alongside those of other major public figures, and the Bodleian's holding of this version connects it to the university's long tradition of collecting portraits of distinguished visitors and benefactors. The existence of multiple Kneller versions of the same sitter reflects the demand-driven nature of his workshop's production.

This version maintains the essential composition and character of Kneller's portrait of the Lord Chancellor, with the studio replication preserving the sitter's dignified bearing while showing some variation in background and secondary details.