here's the commons speakerjohn smith, who hired the court artist godfrey kneller for this portrait. commemorate his role in the negotiation of the union of england and scotland. he's holding in his hand a scroll marked "the union act", so it's obvious what the whole portrait is about. you have the gold of the mace to one side, and all the light is concentrated on the gold embroidery on his cloak, his face and also the act of union. and then, there's this. it's an enormous portrait which actually shows the collected leadership of the whig party in the reign of queen anne. it's the only known group portrait of the whigs done, so it's really quite significant. it's also painted on the most enormous scale, one of the most ambitious group portraits painted in the entire period. it's actually an advertisement of whig foreign policy against tory calls for peace. it may date from the 1700s, but some aspects of political life haven't changed. it must have been painted before the summer of that year, when the individuals represented started being ejected from the ministry. and, of course, in o