William Chiffinch

William Chiffinch (c.1602-88) succeeded his brother Thomas as Page of His Majesty's Bedchamber and Keeper of the King’s Private Closet in 1666. As such, he was Charles II’s closest servant and held incalculable influence at Court. He often abused the power afforded by his position, and gained a reputation for his unscrupulous and self-aggrandizing nature.
John Riley (1646-1691) was an acclaimed English portrait painter. While his early career is obscure, following the death of Lely in 1680 he was celebrated as one of the leading portraitists in the country, rivalled only by Kneller. In 1681 Charles II appointed him ‘painter and picture drawer in ordinary’ and he is said to have produced a portrait of Charles (now lost) that prompted the response: ‘Is this like me? Then, odd's fish, I'm an ugly fellow.’ After the accession of William III and Mary II in 1689, he was appointed their principal painter jointly with Kneller. However, the finest works associated with him are not court portraits but depictions of sitters from more humble callings, such as this portrait of William Chiffinch, page to the King.