Portrait Of Mary, Marchioness Of Rockingham (d 1761)

Kneller's Portrait of Mary, Marchioness of Rockingham, from around 1720, depicts a member of one of the great English Whig aristocratic families. The Rockingham family were leading figures in the Whig establishment, and subsequent generations would produce Charles Watson-Wentworth, the second Marquess who twice served as Prime Minister and was Burke's patron. Kneller painted numerous members of the English aristocracy throughout his long career, and portraits of marchionesses represented the upper tier of his non-royal commissions. By 1720, Kneller was in his late career, managing a large studio while maintaining his position at court.

The portrait follows Kneller's established formal mode for aristocratic female sitters — three-quarter pose, elaborate dress, confident bearing — with the silvery color harmony and smooth rendering of silk and skin that characterize his mature aristocratic portraits.