Amongst the impressive displays in the RCP’s Lasdun Hall is an imposing portrait of the legendarily outspoken court physician Dr John Radcliffe (1650–1714). Radcliffe is best known today for leaving £40,000 in his will to found the Radcliffe Library in Oxford in the building known as the Radcliffe Camera.

Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital and Infirmary are also named after the eminently forthright fellow. Ironically for a famous library founder Radcliffe took pride in reading very little and his contemporary Samuel Garth quipped that his library bequest was 'about as logical as if a eunuch should found a seraglio'.

Our portrait of Radcliffe was created by the studio of his next-door neighbour in Covent Garden, Godfrey Kneller. Craig Hanson describes the precarious friendship between ‘England’s leading physician and its leading painter’ in his book The English Virtuoso. In 1688 Radcliffe asked to install a gate between their adjoining gardens and Kneller – ‘a gentleman of extraordinary courtesy and humility’ – agreed but subsequently became cross that his ‘exotic plants ('fine parterres and choice… herbs and flowers’) were regularly trampled underfoot by Radcliffe’s servants who ‘made such a havock’ amongst his ‘hortulanary curiosities’. Kneller threatened to brick up the gate, a suggestion which made Radcliffe so furious he proclaimed that Kneller could do what he liked with the gate as long as he ‘did but refrain from painting it’. Kneller responded ‘Tell him that I can take anything from him, but (his) physic’. It is not recorded if they made up.

Radcliffe’s biographies abound with instances of wit and characteristic bluntness. When consulted by William III on his leg swelling, Radcliffe opined: ‘I would not have your Majesty's two legs for your three kingdoms’ – a remark which swiftly terminated his presence at court. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography gives a particularly pithy example:

a hypochondriacal nobleman sent [Radcliffe] repeated requests for a consultation… Finally Radcliffe visited the man, who told him he had a “strange singing” in his head. “If it be so”, Radcliffe reportedly replied, “I can prescribe to your Lordship no other remedy than that of swiping your a––– with a ballad”, a response that “perfectly cured his Lordship's malady”.’

Before his death, Radcliffe handed the mantle of London's leading physician on to rising star Richard Mead but not without initial misgivings. In 1711 Radcliffe felt the young Mead was 'advancing too fast' in his profession and invited Mead over to dinner to 'put him in his place' with several other friends. Large quantities of alcohol were consumed which Mead (on his guard) avoided. Everyone else drank themselves literally under the table leaving only Mead and Radcliffe 'in a non-recumbent position'. Radcliffe then decided that he was delighted with Mead’s stamina, announcing 'you are a rising man – you will succeed me!’ To which Mead obsequiously replied that this would be impossible due to Radcliffe's greatness, causing his host to swear 'By Christ – I'll recommend you to my patients'. He did.

Emma Shepley

Senior curator

Visit the RCP to view the portrait of John Radcliffe – on permanent display in the Lasdun Hall

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