Portrait of Sir Thomas Thynne, later 1st Viscount Weymouth
- Artist: Peter Lely
- Date: (circa) 1675
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "Portrait of Sir Thomas Thynne, later 1st Viscount Weymouth" painted by Peter Lely around 1675 in oil on canvas. Lely was the court portraitist for Charles II, and in this work he clearly borrows the elegant, graceful style of Van Dyck. You can see that in the soft modeling of the face and the relaxed, almost languid pose, but the painting also feels a little too neat, a formulaic touch that Van Dyck himself would have avoided.
Thomas Thynne was an important political figure, serving as Member of Parliament for Oxford University and later for Tamworth before being created Viscount Weymouth in 1682. Lely captured him in the classic sitter posture—head slightly turned, right hand relaxed on a cushion—an arrangement that appears in several of Lely’s other commissions. To meet the high demand for royal portraits, Lely’s studio would prepare these stock poses and then add the sitter’s individual features. That’s why the painting feels both personal and yet almost template‑like.
The canvas shows a subtle use of light, with a muted background that keeps all attention on the sitter’s dignified expression. The color palette is restrained, with rich greens and browns that give the portrait a calm, dignified mood—perfect for a man who would soon ascend to the peerage.
See it in person
Portrait of Sir Thomas Thynne, later 1st Viscount Weymouth hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
