A half-length portrait to right in flag officer's undress uniform, 1748–67, with the coat buttoned across and wearing his own hair. The artist was close friends with the sitter and painted his portrait on numerous occasions throughout his life. This particular portrait was painted in summer 1765 with sittings taking place in May, June and August. Reynolds created two very similar versions of the picture at the same time (the other version is now held by the National Portrait Gallery). One version, probably this one, was painted for the politician Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, who gave the portrait to his wife, Mary. Rockingham was the eponymous leader of the Rockingham Whigs and Keppel was one of his political followers. The production of this portrait coincided with Rockingham’s election as Prime Minister in July 1765, following which he appointed Keppel to the Board of the Admiralty. Prior to this point, Keppel had a successful naval career. He was the second son of the Earl of Albemarle and one of a powerful Whig family who came to England with William III in 1688. At the age of fifteen in 1740, Keppel sailed with Commodore George Anson on his four-year voyage around the world. He then served as a captain in the Western Squadron before being made commodore and sent on diplomatic mission to the Mediterranean in 1749. It was at this time that he was introduced to Reynolds, who was then painting portraits in Plymouth. Keppel offered the young artist passage to the Mediterranean on board his flagship so that he could study classical ruins and Renaissance masterpieces in Italy. This voyage marked the beginning of their lifelong friendship. Keppel subsequently led a small expedition to capture the island fortress of Gorée on the West African coast in 1758 and commanded the ‘Torbay’, 74 guns, at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in 1759. In August 1762, he was second-in-command to Sir George Pocock at the capture of Havana, gaining promotion to rear-admiral a few months later, although his health suffered significantly in this period. He remained in the West Indies as commander-in-chief at Jamaica until January 1764. This portrait was painted about one year after he arrived back in England. Whereas Reynolds favoured actively heroic poses and attitudes in his earlier portraits of the sitter, here he employed a simple, bold design focussing upon Keppel’s facial expression. Reynolds is known to have kept at least one version of this portrait in his studio for several years. It was still there in February 1779, when Keppel was acquitted following a high-profile court martial into his conduct at the Battle of Ushant the previous July. The result of the battle was inconclusive, giving rise to a bitter dispute between Keppel, who had commanded the British fleet during the action, and his second-in-command Hugh Palliser over what had gone wrong. The whole affair was politically charged, for Keppel had the support of the opposition Whigs whereas Palliser was backed by the Tory government. Keppel’s trial generated massive public support for the opposition and his acquittal was greeted with widespread popular celebrations. Reynolds wrote to congratulate his friend on the acquittal, commenting that he had “taken the liberty, without waiting for leave, to lend your picture to an engraver”. He was referring to the version of this portrait which remained in his studio. Reynolds was apparently eager to profit from his friend’s sudden fame by circulating prints after his portrait. The National Maritime Museum holds impressions of the resulting print (see PAH5415) and the original copper plate, which was engraved by Reynolds’s pupil William Doughty (see PAJ4037). Following his acquittal, Keppel retired from active service, becoming a Viscount in 1782. Reynolds completed his initial training as an artist under the portrait painter Thomas Hudson in the early 1740s. He then worked for time in Plymouth before travelling to Italy with Keppel in 1749. In 1753, he set up in London and rapidly began to make a name as portrait painter, profoundly influenced by his time in Italy. He became the first President of the Royal Academy in 1768 and was knighted in 1769. He was the most influential figure of the century in elevating British painting and portraiture. Reynolds borrowed poses from the old masters, creating portraits in a new style that were deemed fresh and modern, and yet dignified the status of the sitter. For other portraits of Keppel by Reynolds, see BHC2821, BHC2823 and BHC2822. (Updated April 2019.)