Thomas Sherlock (1678–1761)

Jean-Baptiste van Loo's portrait of Thomas Sherlock at Fulham Palace presents one of the most eminent Church of England prelates of the eighteenth century. Sherlock served as Bishop of London from 1748 to 1761, one of the most powerful ecclesiastical posts in England, and was also a significant theological controversialist whose writings on the resurrection and the prophecies attracted wide attention. Van Loo painted Sherlock during his London years, when the French painter's skill and refinement made him the portrait artist of choice for much of the British establishment. Fulham Palace was the traditional residence of the Bishops of London, making its possession of this portrait historically appropriate — it is an image of the office as much as of the man. The portrait exemplifies how Rococo portraiture adapted to different national and religious contexts, finding a tone of dignified authority appropriate to Protestant ecclesiastical subjects.

Van Loo adopts a sober, controlled register for this ecclesiastical portrait: the bishop's robes provide the compositional structure and colour interest, while the face is rendered with attentive precision. The handling avoids the decorative lightness of his more fashionable female portraits, establishing instead a tone of intellectual gravity suited to a senior clergyman.