John Riley

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 18 November 1987, lot 23 (as John Riley), for £3,000;
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 7 June 2006, lot 132 (as studio of John Riley), for £3,000.

William Chiffinch was page of Charles II's bedchamber and keeper of his private closet, offices formerly held by his brother, Thomas Chiffinch. While Thomas had a reputation for probity, William came to be known for less reputable dealings with the court and the King's affairs. In the Dictionary of National Biography, Chiffinch is described as "delighting in intrigue of every kind." He was responsible for "ingratiating himself into the confidence of courtiers and mistresses", frequently smuggling them through his Whitehall apartments to the Royal closet, or enabling Charles to pass through his rooms and down a staircase leading to the Thames and a waiting boat. Chiffinch is also known to have accepted bribes on the King's behalf and to have handled the secret pension paid by the court of Louis XVI. As the royal go-between, Chiffinch was known to all in court circles, including Samuel Pepys, to whom he purportedly showed off Charles' collection of paintings before enjoying backstairs revels together over wine and pickled herring or cold chicken.¹ He was MP for Windsor between 1685-87.

The present work is a slightly reduced version of Riley's portrait of Chiffinch in Dulwich Picture Gallery, London (inv. no. DPG568).

1. L. Stephen (ed.), Dictionary of National Biography, vol. X, London 1887, pp. 238-39.