William of Wykeham was Bishop of Winchester, 1366-1404, and founder of New College, Oxford and Winchester College.

This is a simplified version of a portrait of Wykeham in the Bodleian Library, part of a series of 19 pictures of College founders commissioned c. 1670. These were once attributed to Wilhelm Sonmans (d. 1708), but in the most recent catalogue of the Bodleian’s pictures, some are attributed to John Taylor (c. 1630 – c. 1714) and others are unattributed. The portrait of Wykeham is attributed to Taylor and this version appears to be by the same hand. The composition of the picture of Wykeham in the Bodleian follows the portrait by Sampson Strong (c.1550-1611) at New College, Oxford.

This portrait forms a pair with Ao31. Both are of the same dimensions and by the same artist, but they entered the school’s collection at different times. The portrait of Foxe appears in several early 20th century inventories and in photographs of College Hall, while the portrait of Wykeham was purchased in the 1940s. It is strange, therefore, that the two pictures are in matching 19th century frames.

Provenance: Said to be from Nunwell Park, Isle of Wight (residence of the Oglander family); said to have been purchased by a picture restorer in Ryde, Isle of Wight, for 12 gns in the early 20th century; by 1924 with R.C. Watson of the ‘Picture Shop’, no.17 Jewry Street, Winchester; purchased from R.C. Watson by Winchester College in 1949 for £17

Location: Warden’s Lodgings