This study investigates the stylistic evolution and professional trajectory of Sir Godfrey Kneller to define his specific contribution to the English Baroque portrait tradition. J. Douglas Stewart provides a comprehensive analysis of Kneller's career, examining how the artist navigated the transition between traditional portraiture and emerging aesthetic forms. By synthesizing biographical data with a rigorous examination of technique, the text establishes a framework for understanding Kneller's influence on the visual culture of his era.

Experts identify this work as a foundational reference for the study of 17th and 18th-century British portraiture. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the utility of the comprehensive catalogue for provenance research.