1671 JOHN BUNYAN. Original "Peter Lely" School Painted Year He was Imprisoned. Superb.

Noted on the rear in early black letter sepia ink as having been painted when he was 43 years of age [1671], this would have been during the period he was in prison either just before or after his election to become the Pastor of the Bedford Meeting House. He was elected to the position prior to his release in 1672, while he was still in prison for non-conformity. 

At the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, non-conformists of all kinds, including Baptists, found their right of assembly drastically curtailed by application of the rarely-applied Conventicle Act of 1593. It forbade people from attending a religious gathering other than their parish church that included more than five persons not related to the person leading the worship. It carried of a 3 month sentence to be accompanied by banishment from England or execution if the person did not swear an oath of non-repetition for the offense. 

In November of 1660, Bunyan was preaching at a farm a few miles from Bedford when he was notified of his impending arrest. He chose not to flee and submitted himself to the arrest graciously, even though the charges were spurious at best and he knew his wife was pregnant at the time. The child was stillborn, perhaps from the stress his wife experienced as a result of the trauma.

He was tried two months later in January of 1611 at Bedford. Unfortunately, he was tried by the same magistrates who would soon issue the Act of Uniformity of 1662, perhaps the least sympathetic court to dissenters in all of England. They colorfully accused him of having "devilishly and perniciously abstained from coming to church to hear divine service" and not only so, but having also held "several unlawful meetings and conventicles, to the great disturbance and distraction of the good subjects of this Kingdom". In accordance with the law, he was sentenced to three months and exile if he did not resume attendance at the parish church and desist from preaching at his release. Because of his refusal to desist preaching, his three months became 12 years. In the eyes of the court, this was a mercy, since he ought to have been banished or executed. The mercy likely reflected the good relationship he had with his jailers.

In fact, over the years several of the jailers had grown quite fond of the saintly Bunyan and allowed him to have short times away from the prison. He was even able to preach on rare occasions. Perhaps more indicative of this freedom while away, his wife gave birth to another daughter born during his imprisonment. Evidently the time away from the prison was at least at points unsupervised. While in prison, he was also allowed writing supplies and began work on his most famous work, Pilgrim's Progress. It would become perhaps the most influential work, aside from Scripture itself, in the western church for nearly two centuries after its release.

By 1671, it was evident that religious toleration would allow for Bunyan's release. In anticipation, the Bedford Meeting House elected Bunyan as their pastor during that same year, even though he was still in incarcerated. The present painting was perhapsbeen painted in commemoration of that event, or of his release.  

As hoped, in March of 1672 penal laws against dissenters were lifted and Bunyan, along with thousands of other Baptist, Presbyterian, Congregational, and Quaker preachers and divines, was released. By May of the same year, he had an official license to preach and took on his role as Pastor of the Bedford Meeting. 

The present work measures 17 x 21 inches. It is oil on original canvas which was relined sometime in the mid-18th century. Since we acquired it many years ago, we have had the 18th century relining removed, preserving the then-contemporary inscription as shown. It has been relined and finely restored by one of the finest restorers in the country, Julian Baumgartner of Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration.

It is the opinion of the restorer that the painting is in every way consistent with the 1671 dating and, as it has no similarity to other known paintings appears to be wholly original. 

It was originally acquired in 1913 from Christie's Auctions in London as "The School of Peter Lely." It is unsigned, which is entirely sensible since any artist of repute would be committing career suicide by painting a jailed dissenter. 

A truly iconic painting, museum worthy, executed while Bunyan was in prison, authoring Pilgrim's Progress, and likely as a painting to commemorate his election as pastor of the Bedford Meeting House.