Hon. Daniel Finch, also known as the 2nd Earl of Nottingham and 7th Earl of Winchilsea, was an English statesman rather than an artist. Born in 1647 into a prominent political family, Finch was the son of Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham, and his second wife, Elizabeth Harvey. He was educated at Westminster School and the University of Oxford, and he later pursued a career in politics, following in the footsteps of his father who had been an influential attorney-general during the reign of Charles II.
Daniel Finch served in various political roles throughout his career, including as a Member of Parliament and holding several important government positions. In 1682, he succeeded his father as the Earl of Nottingham. Finch was a notable figure in the turbulent political landscape of late 17th and early 18th century Britain, which encompassed the reigns of Charles II, James II, William III and Mary II, Queen Anne, and the early years of George I.
While he did not engage in the arts as a practitioner, the period during which he lived was rich in cultural development and was marked by the activities of famous artists such as Sir Christopher Wren in architecture and John Dryden in literature. As a statesman and a person of influence, Finch would have been involved in patronage and the promotion of the arts as part of his social and political activities.
Despite his significance in politics, if you are looking for biographical information on an artist named Daniel Finch, there may be a mix-up or confusion with another individual. Hon. Daniel Finch's legacy is predominantly in the political arena, and his contributions to the arts would have been more aligned with his role as a patron or in the commissioning of artistic works rather than as an artist himself. He passed away in 1730, leaving behind a legacy embedded in the political history of England.