(1694 - 1756), painter, of Warrington, Lancs; studied at Kneller's academy c.1718 - 21; employed by the 10th Earl of Derby from 1722.
1723 - 5 [dep. England Jul. 1723] Rome (by 2 Nov. 1723 - 5 Feb. 1725 - ) [London by Jul.]
Winstanley was sent to Italy by the 10th Earl of Derby to acquire pictures for his country seat, Knowsley in Lancashire.1 He set out with his brother in July 1723 and they were in Rome by 2 November. Derby had given him a present for a Jacobite exile in Rome 'Me.M' ('a Virtusoso espetially in ye Antiques, & he has a good Collection of Drawings, but he complains yt very fine Pictures are too Dear for him'; 5 Nov. 1723), who was asked in return to assist Winstanley in his quest for pictures. 'M' advised Winstanley that 'the very finest things of all are not to be bought, being fixed in the Churches and Pallaces, Yet the Coppying of any of 'Em he thinks may be procured' (2 Nov. 1723). By 26 November he had begun a copy of Guido Reni's Aurora, 'about 3 yards long, & 4 foot broad', and he was also drawing 'Several Antique figures [for] my Lord Colerain' (22 Jan. 1724). Winstanley commented on the quality and availability of busts in Rome; 'their are severall of ye Modern ones yt are originalls, but I think the Coppys from ye Antique are much finer & better done. the antique things yt are to be sold now adays are very poor, and their Chief value is their antiquity' (26
Nov. 1723 os). He commented on many pictures, including a Titian Judgment of Paris, 'very Small & Sadly abused by Cleaning' (27 Nov. 1723). On 22 January 1724 he wrote that the best things he had seen were The Seven Sacraments by Poussin, available for 20,000 crowns (now at Belvoir Castle, then pledged for 6,000 crowns by dal Pozzo). Between 1 October 1724 and 30 January 1725 Winstanley dispatched eighteen cases, of which sixteen contained sculpture and two paintings (including Winstanley's copy). Further consignments of paintings and sculpture were dispatched in July 1725, by which time Winstanley had returned to London. His last letter from Rome was dated 5 February 1725.
1. See F. Russell, Wal.Soc., 53[1987]:150 - 4. Dates of Winstanley's letters in brackets.