early life and career charles philips, a prominent english artist, was born in london around 1703. as the son of richard philips, also a portraitist, charles was likely influenced by his father's profession from an early age. notable works and patrons philips' early work primarily consisted of small portraits and conversation pieces, which gained significant traction among the nobility. a notable example from this period is his 1732 painting for the duchess of portland and the duke of somerset, now part of a private collection (view similar artworks at /en/art/show/art-d3cl2x-en/ - "a journey…