Double portrait of Elizabeth, Lady Thimbleby and ...
Item Number
9040
STUDIO OF SIR ANTHONY VAN DYCK (1599-1641)
Double portrait of Elizabeth, Lady Thimbleby and her sister Dorothy, Viscountess Andover, later Countess of Berkshire (1611-1691), with a cupid.
oil on canvas in a giltwood frame.
This is a version of the portrait in the National Gallery, London (NG6437), formerly in the Spencer Collection at Althorp. The subject depicts two of the six daughters of Thomas, 1st Viscount Savage (1586-1635) and his wife Elizabeth Darcy, suo jure Countess Rivers (1581-1650).
Elizabeth married in 1634, while Dorothy married in 1637. In the composition a cupid offers roses to the seated figure, which suggests a marriage is being celebrated. The flowers are fittingly an attribute of St. Dorothy, namesake of the Countess of Andover. Dorothy's marriage had certainly been a love match, as Dorothy had eloped with Charles Howard before actually marrying him.
There is some debate as to the identification of the sisters, as well as the date of the original painting in the National Gallery, London. Recently however Walter Liedtke and Michelle Safer, following the discovery of another studio version of the composition inscribed with the sitters' identities in a private collection in New York, and re-appraising the iconography of the composition, have suggested that the identities are Dorothy standing, whilst it is her younger sister Elizabeth who is the principal figure, seated in yellow. Liedtke and Safer also suggest that the composition in fact celebrates Elizabeth Savage's marriage to Sir John Thimbleby of Irnham (d.1662), on 29 September 1635, and it is now generally accepted that this identification is correct and that the original painting in the National Gallery can be dated to circa 1635.
SIR ANTHONY VAN DYKE (1599-1641) was the greatest master of the European baroque portrait. Born in Antwerp, he first visited England in 1620. In 1632 he entered the service of King Charles I as Court Painter, and was knighted in 1633.
His clientele was essentially the aristocratic circle of courtiers, many of whom lived in a romantic Royalist dream world which collapsed in ruins in the Civil War, soon after Van Dyck's death.
Sir Anthony Van Dyke's influence on the art of the portrait is almost beyond measure.
SIZE: 59 x 66.5 inches including frame.
PROVENANCE: Possibly James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk (1606/7-1688), first cousin of Charles Howard, Viscount Andover, later 2nd Earl of Berkshire (1615-1679), who married Dorothy Savage in 1637. Suffolk married, in 1682 as his third wife, Ann Montagu (circa 1667-1720), daughter of Robert, 3rd Earl of Manchester (1634-1683);
Possibly by inheritance, following Suffolk's death in 1688, to his wife Ann, who returned to live with her family at Kimbolton Castle; Thence by descent in the collection of the Dukes of Manchester, at Kimbolton Castle, Cambridgeshire, to Alexander Montagu, 10th Duke of Manchester (1902-1977); By whom sold, Kimbolton Castle sale on the premises, Knight, Frank & Rutley, 18 July 1949, lot 18 (as a portrait of the Countesses of Rutland and Southampton);
Miss Marjorie Pollard, OBE (1899-1982)
Sold by Phillips 8 October 1982, lot 243, to The Hon. M. Howard of Faith Wood House, Gloucestershire.
Verso: two collection seals and inscriptions.
LITERATURE:Sir Oliver Millar, et al., Van Dyck: a complete catalogue of the paintings, New Haven and London 2004, p. 436;
W. Liedtke and M. Safer, 'Reversing the roles: Van Dyck's portrait of Lady Elizabeth Thimbleby with her sister Dorothy Savage' in The Burlington Magazine, February 2009, vol CLI, no 1271, p. 80.
Double portrait of Elizabeth, Lady Thimbleby and her sister Dorothy, Viscountess Andover, later Countess of Berkshire (1611-1691), with a cupid.
oil on canvas in a giltwood frame.
This is a version of the portrait in the National Gallery, London (NG6437), formerly in the Spencer Collection at Althorp. The subject depicts two of the six daughters of Thomas, 1st Viscount Savage (1586-1635) and his wife Elizabeth Darcy, suo jure Countess Rivers (1581-1650).
Elizabeth married in 1634, while Dorothy married in 1637. In the composition a cupid offers roses to the seated figure, which suggests a marriage is being celebrated. The flowers are fittingly an attribute of St. Dorothy, namesake of the Countess of Andover. Dorothy's marriage had certainly been a love match, as Dorothy had eloped with Charles Howard before actually marrying him.
There is some debate as to the identification of the sisters, as well as the date of the original painting in the National Gallery, London. Recently however Walter Liedtke and Michelle Safer, following the discovery of another studio version of the composition inscribed with the sitters' identities in a private collection in New York, and re-appraising the iconography of the composition, have suggested that the identities are Dorothy standing, whilst it is her younger sister Elizabeth who is the principal figure, seated in yellow. Liedtke and Safer also suggest that the composition in fact celebrates Elizabeth Savage's marriage to Sir John Thimbleby of Irnham (d.1662), on 29 September 1635, and it is now generally accepted that this identification is correct and that the original painting in the National Gallery can be dated to circa 1635.
SIR ANTHONY VAN DYKE (1599-1641) was the greatest master of the European baroque portrait. Born in Antwerp, he first visited England in 1620. In 1632 he entered the service of King Charles I as Court Painter, and was knighted in 1633.
His clientele was essentially the aristocratic circle of courtiers, many of whom lived in a romantic Royalist dream world which collapsed in ruins in the Civil War, soon after Van Dyck's death.
Sir Anthony Van Dyke's influence on the art of the portrait is almost beyond measure.
SIZE: 59 x 66.5 inches including frame.
PROVENANCE: Possibly James Howard, 3rd Earl of Suffolk (1606/7-1688), first cousin of Charles Howard, Viscount Andover, later 2nd Earl of Berkshire (1615-1679), who married Dorothy Savage in 1637. Suffolk married, in 1682 as his third wife, Ann Montagu (circa 1667-1720), daughter of Robert, 3rd Earl of Manchester (1634-1683);
Possibly by inheritance, following Suffolk's death in 1688, to his wife Ann, who returned to live with her family at Kimbolton Castle; Thence by descent in the collection of the Dukes of Manchester, at Kimbolton Castle, Cambridgeshire, to Alexander Montagu, 10th Duke of Manchester (1902-1977); By whom sold, Kimbolton Castle sale on the premises, Knight, Frank & Rutley, 18 July 1949, lot 18 (as a portrait of the Countesses of Rutland and Southampton);
Miss Marjorie Pollard, OBE (1899-1982)
Sold by Phillips 8 October 1982, lot 243, to The Hon. M. Howard of Faith Wood House, Gloucestershire.
Verso: two collection seals and inscriptions.
LITERATURE:Sir Oliver Millar, et al., Van Dyck: a complete catalogue of the paintings, New Haven and London 2004, p. 436;
W. Liedtke and M. Safer, 'Reversing the roles: Van Dyck's portrait of Lady Elizabeth Thimbleby with her sister Dorothy Savage' in The Burlington Magazine, February 2009, vol CLI, no 1271, p. 80.
£38,950
Portrait of a Lady 1631, by Jan ...
Item Number
8553
Oil on marouflaged panel in good quality 18th century carved and giltwood frame.
Signed with initials and dated 'Anno. 1631. JVR" upper right.
A superb portrait of a gently smiling young woman; she wears a pearl necklace, the essential accessory of the period, but modestly conceals it beneath her fine muslin. No such modesty however, for the magnificent jewellery she wears across her bosom.
Her black clothing, fashionably slashed, is of the finest quality, beautifully decorated and contrasting with the exquisite white lace spread across her shoulders. In the work of great portraitists black is never dull, its pictorial potential is fully utilised.
Black is an ideal background against which gold can stand out to dramatic effect and to contrast with the crisp white linen and lace. This extreme opposition between black and white is both austere and exciting, and is a characteristic feature of the 17th century Dutch portrait.
The theory has been put forward that the sitter is Amalia van Solms, wife of the Dutch Stadtholder (and grandmother of England's William III), who was painted many times by many different artists.
However, we consider this unlikely, as does Fred Meijer, curator at RKD, Netherlands Institute for Art History, at The Hague. 'While it is totally conceivable that Amalia van Solms sat for van Ravesteyn, I do not see any striking resemblance. Otherwise this appears to be a fully characteristic work by the artist.'
Regardless of the identity of the sitter this is a superb and sensitive portrait by a famous artist from the Netherland's Golden Age of painting.
JAN ANTHONISZ. VAN RAVESTEYN
(c. 1572-1657) was one of the most important and successful Northern Netherlandish portrait painters of the first half of the seventeenth century, and the leading portraitist of the government centre, The Hague. He was working there for the Stadholder's Court, for local patricians and for the upper classes of other cities in the Southern part of Holland and in Zeeland.
His sitters are often depicted with rich costumes in the latest fashion, intentionally alluding to their wealth and status.
His earliest signed work is the well-known tondo portrait of the young Hugo Grotius, dated 1599 (Fondation Custodia, Paris).
As early as 1604 Karel van Mander mentioned the artist as one of the most competent portraitists of his time. A large number of signed and dated works from the next decades - especially from the year 1611 - are known, including several group portraits of the Hague civic guard.
The last dated portraits are from 1641, leading to the conclusion that the painter produced little, if anything, in the last fifteen years of his life. The general style of his work is closely related to that of the Delft portraitist Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (1567-1641), but is generally less dry and often more flattering than the latter’s.
SIZE: 28 x 24.25 inches panel size.
34.5 x 31.5 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:
*Collection of Alfred Morrisson M.P. of Fonthill House, Tisbury, Wiltshire. (see image 10). Alfred Morrisson (1821-1887) was an outstanding collector of fine and rare items.
*Latterly in the Private Collection of a Lady.
VERSO: two Victorian printed labels bearing much information of "M & B Bartington; Est. 1836. No. 58 Wardour Street, Soho" framer and restorer.
Victorian handwritten label "Alfred Morrisson Esq. No. 106. Three quarter picture of Dutch Lady by Jan van Ravesteyn. 20/12/87".
Signed with initials and dated 'Anno. 1631. JVR" upper right.
A superb portrait of a gently smiling young woman; she wears a pearl necklace, the essential accessory of the period, but modestly conceals it beneath her fine muslin. No such modesty however, for the magnificent jewellery she wears across her bosom.
Her black clothing, fashionably slashed, is of the finest quality, beautifully decorated and contrasting with the exquisite white lace spread across her shoulders. In the work of great portraitists black is never dull, its pictorial potential is fully utilised.
Black is an ideal background against which gold can stand out to dramatic effect and to contrast with the crisp white linen and lace. This extreme opposition between black and white is both austere and exciting, and is a characteristic feature of the 17th century Dutch portrait.
The theory has been put forward that the sitter is Amalia van Solms, wife of the Dutch Stadtholder (and grandmother of England's William III), who was painted many times by many different artists.
However, we consider this unlikely, as does Fred Meijer, curator at RKD, Netherlands Institute for Art History, at The Hague. 'While it is totally conceivable that Amalia van Solms sat for van Ravesteyn, I do not see any striking resemblance. Otherwise this appears to be a fully characteristic work by the artist.'
Regardless of the identity of the sitter this is a superb and sensitive portrait by a famous artist from the Netherland's Golden Age of painting.
JAN ANTHONISZ. VAN RAVESTEYN
(c. 1572-1657) was one of the most important and successful Northern Netherlandish portrait painters of the first half of the seventeenth century, and the leading portraitist of the government centre, The Hague. He was working there for the Stadholder's Court, for local patricians and for the upper classes of other cities in the Southern part of Holland and in Zeeland.
His sitters are often depicted with rich costumes in the latest fashion, intentionally alluding to their wealth and status.
His earliest signed work is the well-known tondo portrait of the young Hugo Grotius, dated 1599 (Fondation Custodia, Paris).
As early as 1604 Karel van Mander mentioned the artist as one of the most competent portraitists of his time. A large number of signed and dated works from the next decades - especially from the year 1611 - are known, including several group portraits of the Hague civic guard.
The last dated portraits are from 1641, leading to the conclusion that the painter produced little, if anything, in the last fifteen years of his life. The general style of his work is closely related to that of the Delft portraitist Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (1567-1641), but is generally less dry and often more flattering than the latter’s.
SIZE: 28 x 24.25 inches panel size.
34.5 x 31.5 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:
*Collection of Alfred Morrisson M.P. of Fonthill House, Tisbury, Wiltshire. (see image 10). Alfred Morrisson (1821-1887) was an outstanding collector of fine and rare items.
*Latterly in the Private Collection of a Lady.
VERSO: two Victorian printed labels bearing much information of "M & B Bartington; Est. 1836. No. 58 Wardour Street, Soho" framer and restorer.
Victorian handwritten label "Alfred Morrisson Esq. No. 106. Three quarter picture of Dutch Lady by Jan van Ravesteyn. 20/12/87".
£25,000
Portrait of a Gentleman 1666, Attributed to ...
Item Number
8571
Oil on canvas; a superb quality portrait in a good 17th century carved and giltwood frame.
This powerful portrait has been known as Richard Cromwell, Oliver's third son, for many years, but, although the sitter bears a resemblance to the second Lord Protector, it is a doubtful attribution.
Looking directly and frankly at the viewer the sitter, almost certainly a military officer, makes no concession to any of the more foppish fashions of the day. He wears his own hair, not a wig, his cravat is simple. His sleeves have a silver thread pattern and over all he wears a breastplate with a buff leather coat beneath.
Although plain, all these items are of good quality...indeed, the young man must have been wealthy in order to commission such a high quality (and therefore expensive) portrait.
The different textures and appearance of all these materials, and the flesh and hair, are exquisitely painted by Hoogstraten.
Upper left, probably added in the 18th or 19th century, is the later inscription 'RICHARD CROMWELL', and to the middle right is another very faint inscription which seems to be contemporary with the portrait 'Aet. 23. Ano. 1666'.
If this date and the sitter's age are correct then it cannot be Cromwell who was born in 1626.
SAMUEL VAN HOOGSTRATEN (1627 - 1678)
Samuel van Hoogstraten was born in Dordrecht on 2 August 1627. He was first the pupil of his father, then, some time after his father's death in 1640, he entered Rembrandt's studio.
He painted genre scenes and portraits and he is well known as a specialist in perspective effects.
Hoogstraten travelled widely, visiting Rome and Vienna, where he was patronized by the Emperor. He was in London from 1662 to 1666, the time of the Great Fire.
He finally settled in his native town where he was made a Provost of the Mint. He published a book in 1678 "lnleyding tot de Hooge Schoole der Schilderkonst" (An Introduction to the Art of Painting), one of the few handbooks on painting published in Holland in that century. He died in Dordrecht on 19 October 1678.
SIZE: 29 x 23.5 inches canvas.
36.5 x 31 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Earl Granard K.P., Castle Forbes, County Longford, Ireland.(see image 6).
Private London Collection.
VERSO: Stencil "Earl of Granard KP Castle Forbes".
Hand written inscription, early 20th c. in appearance: "RICHARD CROMWELL. Painted by Robert Walker died 1659" (Unlikely attribution as the portrait is dated eight years after Walker's death.)
This powerful portrait has been known as Richard Cromwell, Oliver's third son, for many years, but, although the sitter bears a resemblance to the second Lord Protector, it is a doubtful attribution.
Looking directly and frankly at the viewer the sitter, almost certainly a military officer, makes no concession to any of the more foppish fashions of the day. He wears his own hair, not a wig, his cravat is simple. His sleeves have a silver thread pattern and over all he wears a breastplate with a buff leather coat beneath.
Although plain, all these items are of good quality...indeed, the young man must have been wealthy in order to commission such a high quality (and therefore expensive) portrait.
The different textures and appearance of all these materials, and the flesh and hair, are exquisitely painted by Hoogstraten.
Upper left, probably added in the 18th or 19th century, is the later inscription 'RICHARD CROMWELL', and to the middle right is another very faint inscription which seems to be contemporary with the portrait 'Aet. 23. Ano. 1666'.
If this date and the sitter's age are correct then it cannot be Cromwell who was born in 1626.
SAMUEL VAN HOOGSTRATEN (1627 - 1678)
Samuel van Hoogstraten was born in Dordrecht on 2 August 1627. He was first the pupil of his father, then, some time after his father's death in 1640, he entered Rembrandt's studio.
He painted genre scenes and portraits and he is well known as a specialist in perspective effects.
Hoogstraten travelled widely, visiting Rome and Vienna, where he was patronized by the Emperor. He was in London from 1662 to 1666, the time of the Great Fire.
He finally settled in his native town where he was made a Provost of the Mint. He published a book in 1678 "lnleyding tot de Hooge Schoole der Schilderkonst" (An Introduction to the Art of Painting), one of the few handbooks on painting published in Holland in that century. He died in Dordrecht on 19 October 1678.
SIZE: 29 x 23.5 inches canvas.
36.5 x 31 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Earl Granard K.P., Castle Forbes, County Longford, Ireland.(see image 6).
Private London Collection.
VERSO: Stencil "Earl of Granard KP Castle Forbes".
Hand written inscription, early 20th c. in appearance: "RICHARD CROMWELL. Painted by Robert Walker died 1659" (Unlikely attribution as the portrait is dated eight years after Walker's death.)
£23,000
Portrait of Philippe II, Duke of Orleans ...
Item Number
8955
Oil on canvas in a good quality reproduction frame.
This is a superb quality painting, the depiction of the various materials...silk, lace, gold, steel, hair and flesh is exquisite. Hands are often problematic with lesser artists but here they are totally realistic.
The Duke wears the Bourbon white silk sash and holds the baton of command of a high ranking officer.
PHILIPPE II, DUKE OF ORLEANS (1674-1723), Regent of France, the son of Philip I, duke of Orleans, and his second wife, the princess palatine, was born on the 2nd of August 1674, and had his first experience of arms at the siege of Mons in 1691. His marriage with Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, Mlle. de Blois, the legitimized daughter of Louis XIV, won him the favour of the king. He fought with distinction at Steinkerk, Neerwinden and Namur (1692-95). During the next few years, being without employment, he studied natural science. He was next given a command in Italy (1706) and in Spain (1707-08) where he gained some important successes, but he cherished lofty ambitions and was suspected of wishing to take the place of Philip V on the throne of Spain. Louis XIV was angry at these pretensions, and for a long time held him in disfavor. In his will, however, he appointed him president of the council of regency of the young King Louis XV (1715). After the death of the king, the duke of Orleans went to the parlement, had the will annulled, and himself invested with absolute power. At first he made a good use of this, counselling economy, decreasing taxation, disbanding 25,000 soldiers and restoring liberty to the persecuted Jansenists. But the inquisitorial measures which he had begun against the financiers led to disturbances.
There existed a party of malcontents who wished to transfer the regency from Orleans to Philip V, king of Spain. A conspiracy was formed, under the inspiration of Cardinal Alberoni, first minister of Spain, and directed by the prince of Cellamare, Spanish ambassador in France, with the complicity of the duke and duchess of Maine; but in 1718 it was discovered and defeated. Dubois, formerly tutor to the duke of Orleans, and now his all-powerful minister, caused war to be declared against Spain, with the support of the emperor, and of England and Holland (Quadruple Alliance). After some successes of the French marshal, the duke of Berwick, in Spain, and of the imperial troops in Sicily, Philip V made peace with the regent (1720).
On the majority of the king, which was declared on the 15th of February 1723, the duke of Orleans resigned the supreme power; but he became first minister to the king, and remained in office until his death on the 23rd of December 1723. The regent had great qualities, both brilliant and solid, which were unfortunately spoiled by an excessive taste for pleasure. His dissolute manners found only too many imitators, and the regency was one of the most corrupt periods in French history.
Father: Philip I, Duke of Orléans
Mother: Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine (b. 1652, d. 1722)
Wife: Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, Mlle. de Blois (b. 1677, m. 1698, d. 1749)
Son: Louis, duke of Orléans (b. 1703, d. 1752)
JEAN-BAPTISTE SANTERRE (1651-1717)
Santerre was born at Magny-en-Vexin, near Pontoise. A pupil of Bon Boullogne, he began his painting career at a portraitist, with a notable work being a portrait of Marie Leszczynska with the Maison de St Cyr in the background (now at the musée de Versailles). He won a major reputation thanks to his academies. His most notable work is his Susanna Bathing (Louvre), the diploma work executed by him in 1704, when he was received into the Académie (1730–1770) and Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806). He painted the Duc d'Orleans on several occasions
SIZE: 52.5 x 51.75 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Private collection, East Kent.
This is a superb quality painting, the depiction of the various materials...silk, lace, gold, steel, hair and flesh is exquisite. Hands are often problematic with lesser artists but here they are totally realistic.
The Duke wears the Bourbon white silk sash and holds the baton of command of a high ranking officer.
PHILIPPE II, DUKE OF ORLEANS (1674-1723), Regent of France, the son of Philip I, duke of Orleans, and his second wife, the princess palatine, was born on the 2nd of August 1674, and had his first experience of arms at the siege of Mons in 1691. His marriage with Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, Mlle. de Blois, the legitimized daughter of Louis XIV, won him the favour of the king. He fought with distinction at Steinkerk, Neerwinden and Namur (1692-95). During the next few years, being without employment, he studied natural science. He was next given a command in Italy (1706) and in Spain (1707-08) where he gained some important successes, but he cherished lofty ambitions and was suspected of wishing to take the place of Philip V on the throne of Spain. Louis XIV was angry at these pretensions, and for a long time held him in disfavor. In his will, however, he appointed him president of the council of regency of the young King Louis XV (1715). After the death of the king, the duke of Orleans went to the parlement, had the will annulled, and himself invested with absolute power. At first he made a good use of this, counselling economy, decreasing taxation, disbanding 25,000 soldiers and restoring liberty to the persecuted Jansenists. But the inquisitorial measures which he had begun against the financiers led to disturbances.
There existed a party of malcontents who wished to transfer the regency from Orleans to Philip V, king of Spain. A conspiracy was formed, under the inspiration of Cardinal Alberoni, first minister of Spain, and directed by the prince of Cellamare, Spanish ambassador in France, with the complicity of the duke and duchess of Maine; but in 1718 it was discovered and defeated. Dubois, formerly tutor to the duke of Orleans, and now his all-powerful minister, caused war to be declared against Spain, with the support of the emperor, and of England and Holland (Quadruple Alliance). After some successes of the French marshal, the duke of Berwick, in Spain, and of the imperial troops in Sicily, Philip V made peace with the regent (1720).
On the majority of the king, which was declared on the 15th of February 1723, the duke of Orleans resigned the supreme power; but he became first minister to the king, and remained in office until his death on the 23rd of December 1723. The regent had great qualities, both brilliant and solid, which were unfortunately spoiled by an excessive taste for pleasure. His dissolute manners found only too many imitators, and the regency was one of the most corrupt periods in French history.
Father: Philip I, Duke of Orléans
Mother: Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine (b. 1652, d. 1722)
Wife: Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, Mlle. de Blois (b. 1677, m. 1698, d. 1749)
Son: Louis, duke of Orléans (b. 1703, d. 1752)
JEAN-BAPTISTE SANTERRE (1651-1717)
Santerre was born at Magny-en-Vexin, near Pontoise. A pupil of Bon Boullogne, he began his painting career at a portraitist, with a notable work being a portrait of Marie Leszczynska with the Maison de St Cyr in the background (now at the musée de Versailles). He won a major reputation thanks to his academies. His most notable work is his Susanna Bathing (Louvre), the diploma work executed by him in 1704, when he was received into the Académie (1730–1770) and Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806). He painted the Duc d'Orleans on several occasions
SIZE: 52.5 x 51.75 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Private collection, East Kent.
£13,250
Portrait of H.M.S Royal Adelaide 1837; Attributed ...
Item Number
8921
Oil on canvas in a gilt frame.
HMS ROYAL ADELAIDE LYING AT ANCHOR IN THE HAMOAZE AT DEVONPORT, WITH A LONGBOAT CARRYING DISTINGUISHED VISITORS HEADING INSHORE OFF HER STERN, THE BUILDINGS OF THE ROYAL WILLIAM VICTUALLING YARD ON THE OPPOSITE BANK.
Bears signature and date 1837, oil on canvas.
The first rate warship Royal Adelaide was laid down in Plymouth Dockyard as the London in May 1819. A larger version of Nelson's Victory, she displaced 4,122 tons, measured 198 feet in length with a 54 foot beam, and mounted 104 guns on three decks.
She was one of the earliest Royal Navy ships to have planking right round the bow at the height of the forecastle. However attempts to strengthen the stern in a similar way meant depriving the officers of their large windows and glass doors and met with indignant opposition. They objected to being deprived of their comfort, so the windows and glass doors remained open to devastating broadsides from astern.
Originally called HMS London she was nine years on the stocks before being launched on 28th July 1828 in the presence of the Lord High Admiral, the Duke of Clarence (later King William IV), as HMS London, she was christened by his Duchess and immediately renamed HMS Royal Adelaide in honour of the future Queen Adelaide.
Spending most of her career as Port Admiral's flagship at Plymouth, she was transferred to Chatham in 1891, where she served as Receiving Ship until 1904, and was finally broken up at Dunkirk in 1905.
JOSEPH WALTER (1783–1856) was an English marine painter in oils and watercolour, working at Bristol and Portishead. He gained notice for his portrayals of Brunel's steamships Great Western and Great Britain.
Walter was born in Bristol and died there, but was living in Portishead at the time that he exhibited his first known work, 'View from Portishead towards Wales' (1832). This was at the Bristol Institution in 1832, in the first exhibition of the Bristol Society of Artists. He is not known to have been associated with the Bristol School of artists in the 1820s. However surviving sketches suggest that he did take part in the revival of the school's sketching meetings in the 1830s. His drawing technique shows similarities to that of the leading Bristol School artist Samuel Jackson.
Walter's subjects included shipping at Bristol, Southampton, Malta and Saint Lucia. He also portrayed Dutch vessels in the style of the Dutch artists Van de Velde and son, for example in Dutch vessels in a fresh breeze (c. 1851). He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1837, and also at the Society of British Artists.
SIZE: 32.5 x 44 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:*London, Sotheby's, 5th December 1923, lot 139 as by J. Walter, from the Maude Collection.
*Bought by the previous owner's father in the late 60s from a dealer as an autograph work.
Verso: a 1986 restorer's label. (The painting was conserved by our restorer in December 2015)
Our thanks to Michael Naxton for his expertise.
HMS ROYAL ADELAIDE LYING AT ANCHOR IN THE HAMOAZE AT DEVONPORT, WITH A LONGBOAT CARRYING DISTINGUISHED VISITORS HEADING INSHORE OFF HER STERN, THE BUILDINGS OF THE ROYAL WILLIAM VICTUALLING YARD ON THE OPPOSITE BANK.
Bears signature and date 1837, oil on canvas.
The first rate warship Royal Adelaide was laid down in Plymouth Dockyard as the London in May 1819. A larger version of Nelson's Victory, she displaced 4,122 tons, measured 198 feet in length with a 54 foot beam, and mounted 104 guns on three decks.
She was one of the earliest Royal Navy ships to have planking right round the bow at the height of the forecastle. However attempts to strengthen the stern in a similar way meant depriving the officers of their large windows and glass doors and met with indignant opposition. They objected to being deprived of their comfort, so the windows and glass doors remained open to devastating broadsides from astern.
Originally called HMS London she was nine years on the stocks before being launched on 28th July 1828 in the presence of the Lord High Admiral, the Duke of Clarence (later King William IV), as HMS London, she was christened by his Duchess and immediately renamed HMS Royal Adelaide in honour of the future Queen Adelaide.
Spending most of her career as Port Admiral's flagship at Plymouth, she was transferred to Chatham in 1891, where she served as Receiving Ship until 1904, and was finally broken up at Dunkirk in 1905.
JOSEPH WALTER (1783–1856) was an English marine painter in oils and watercolour, working at Bristol and Portishead. He gained notice for his portrayals of Brunel's steamships Great Western and Great Britain.
Walter was born in Bristol and died there, but was living in Portishead at the time that he exhibited his first known work, 'View from Portishead towards Wales' (1832). This was at the Bristol Institution in 1832, in the first exhibition of the Bristol Society of Artists. He is not known to have been associated with the Bristol School of artists in the 1820s. However surviving sketches suggest that he did take part in the revival of the school's sketching meetings in the 1830s. His drawing technique shows similarities to that of the leading Bristol School artist Samuel Jackson.
Walter's subjects included shipping at Bristol, Southampton, Malta and Saint Lucia. He also portrayed Dutch vessels in the style of the Dutch artists Van de Velde and son, for example in Dutch vessels in a fresh breeze (c. 1851). He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1837, and also at the Society of British Artists.
SIZE: 32.5 x 44 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:*London, Sotheby's, 5th December 1923, lot 139 as by J. Walter, from the Maude Collection.
*Bought by the previous owner's father in the late 60s from a dealer as an autograph work.
Verso: a 1986 restorer's label. (The painting was conserved by our restorer in December 2015)
Our thanks to Michael Naxton for his expertise.
£12,950
Portrait said to be of Sarah Wilson ...
Item Number
9016
Oil on canvas in an excellent 18th century carved and giltwood frame.
Inscribed lower right 'Sarah Wilson'. The sitter depicted within a feigned oval.
This is a fine quality portrait and is typical of Ramsay's work in the mid 18th century; as usual, the fabrics are so well painted one can almost 'feel' them. Ramsay often employed the famous specialist drapery painter Joseph van Aken.
The frame is a work of art in its own right, beautifully carved by a master craftsman.
The later inscription claims the sitter to be Sarah Wilson, by repute the daughter of Christopher Wilson and heiress of Bradyll Dodding (1689-1748) of Conishead Priory, Cumbria. She married John Gale of Highcap Castle and had three children - Thomas Richmond Gale, Henry Richmond Gale and Margaret Gale.
Her sister Mary married into the Wharton family.
ALLAN RAMSAY 1713–1784.
Ramsay was born in Edinburgh. His father, also Allan Ramsay, was an important Scottish poet from whom the younger Ramsay inherited a tradition of strong nationalistic pride. Ramsay junior was instrumental in formulating a native Scottish style of painting, as his father had done for poetry.
Ramsay studied in London at St Martin's Lane Academy and at Hans Hysing's studio, before going to Italy. He worked from 1736 to 1738 at the French Academy in Rome under Francesco Imperiali and under Francesco Solimena in Naples. On his return he settled in London, although he continued to be active in Edinburgh. Between 1754 and 1757 he was in Italy, mostly in Rome. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1743. During his prime period he had a virtual monopoly on court painting. He became the official painter to George III in 1760, and Principal Painter-in-Ordinary in 1767. His assistants included David Martin, Alexander Nasmyth and Philip Reinagle.
SIZE: 37.5 x 32 inches including the frame.
PROVENANCE: Deceased estate of a former Derby solicitor, who owned the portrait for 40 years.
VERSO: Old trade label of Aiken Dottson, Castle Street, Edinburgh.
Inscribed lower right 'Sarah Wilson'. The sitter depicted within a feigned oval.
This is a fine quality portrait and is typical of Ramsay's work in the mid 18th century; as usual, the fabrics are so well painted one can almost 'feel' them. Ramsay often employed the famous specialist drapery painter Joseph van Aken.
The frame is a work of art in its own right, beautifully carved by a master craftsman.
The later inscription claims the sitter to be Sarah Wilson, by repute the daughter of Christopher Wilson and heiress of Bradyll Dodding (1689-1748) of Conishead Priory, Cumbria. She married John Gale of Highcap Castle and had three children - Thomas Richmond Gale, Henry Richmond Gale and Margaret Gale.
Her sister Mary married into the Wharton family.
ALLAN RAMSAY 1713–1784.
Ramsay was born in Edinburgh. His father, also Allan Ramsay, was an important Scottish poet from whom the younger Ramsay inherited a tradition of strong nationalistic pride. Ramsay junior was instrumental in formulating a native Scottish style of painting, as his father had done for poetry.
Ramsay studied in London at St Martin's Lane Academy and at Hans Hysing's studio, before going to Italy. He worked from 1736 to 1738 at the French Academy in Rome under Francesco Imperiali and under Francesco Solimena in Naples. On his return he settled in London, although he continued to be active in Edinburgh. Between 1754 and 1757 he was in Italy, mostly in Rome. He was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1743. During his prime period he had a virtual monopoly on court painting. He became the official painter to George III in 1760, and Principal Painter-in-Ordinary in 1767. His assistants included David Martin, Alexander Nasmyth and Philip Reinagle.
SIZE: 37.5 x 32 inches including the frame.
PROVENANCE: Deceased estate of a former Derby solicitor, who owned the portrait for 40 years.
VERSO: Old trade label of Aiken Dottson, Castle Street, Edinburgh.
£11,950
Portrait of Capt. the Hon. Henry Dundas ...
Item Number
9022
Oil on canvas in the original Regency gilt frame.
This is a superb portrait of the young aristocratic officer; sensitive and insightful, his hair in the fashionably Byronic style. It is a fine example of the best work of Devis. He wears the dress uniform of the Light Dragoons.
CAPTAIN THE HONOURABLE HENRY DUNDAS SHORE (1800 - 1826) was the third son of the 1st Lord Teignmouth, Governor General of India and anti slavery campaigner.
The sitter served with the 11th Regiment of Light Dragoons as Cornet in 1818, then in the 4th Royal Irish Regiment of Dragoon Guards (being promoted to Lieutenant in November 1822) before becoming Captain in the Royal Marines in 1826.
Shore died in Loumarin, France, in April 1826. He was 26 and unmarried.
His funeral was a grand affair: "The pall was borne by officers of the French army. As the procession passed through the streets, which were densely crowded - as a holiday had been granted to the people of the neighbourhood - its progress was indicated by volleys from the carbines of the gendarmerie and the same martial tribute was bestowed at the grave." (from 'Memoir of the Life and Correspondence of John, Lord Shore', vol.2).
ARTHUR WILLIAM DEVIS (1762 - 1822). Devis was the son of Arthur Devis, a successful portrait painter. Devis enrolled at the Royal Academy Schools at the age of twelve and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1775. In 1782, he embarked aboard the Antelope for a voyage to the East Indies, in the capacity of draughtsman. The ship was wrecked and Devis and the crew were stranded for a year on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. After a series of extraordinary adventures, during which he took part in the wars of the natives on a neighbouring island and received two arrow wounds, Devis arrived in India, where he settled for ten years, establishing a successful practice as a painter of portraits and local scenes. He attracted the attention of Sir William Jones, Lord Cornwallis and General Harris. He returned to England in 1795, concentrating mainly on painting portraits and a few notable history subjects. Perhaps his best known painting is the famous "Death of Nelson".
SIZE: 39 x 34.25 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: By descent in the family of the sitter.
Verso: an old depository label for Lord Teignmouth, and an illegible inscription.
This is a superb portrait of the young aristocratic officer; sensitive and insightful, his hair in the fashionably Byronic style. It is a fine example of the best work of Devis. He wears the dress uniform of the Light Dragoons.
CAPTAIN THE HONOURABLE HENRY DUNDAS SHORE (1800 - 1826) was the third son of the 1st Lord Teignmouth, Governor General of India and anti slavery campaigner.
The sitter served with the 11th Regiment of Light Dragoons as Cornet in 1818, then in the 4th Royal Irish Regiment of Dragoon Guards (being promoted to Lieutenant in November 1822) before becoming Captain in the Royal Marines in 1826.
Shore died in Loumarin, France, in April 1826. He was 26 and unmarried.
His funeral was a grand affair: "The pall was borne by officers of the French army. As the procession passed through the streets, which were densely crowded - as a holiday had been granted to the people of the neighbourhood - its progress was indicated by volleys from the carbines of the gendarmerie and the same martial tribute was bestowed at the grave." (from 'Memoir of the Life and Correspondence of John, Lord Shore', vol.2).
ARTHUR WILLIAM DEVIS (1762 - 1822). Devis was the son of Arthur Devis, a successful portrait painter. Devis enrolled at the Royal Academy Schools at the age of twelve and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1775. In 1782, he embarked aboard the Antelope for a voyage to the East Indies, in the capacity of draughtsman. The ship was wrecked and Devis and the crew were stranded for a year on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. After a series of extraordinary adventures, during which he took part in the wars of the natives on a neighbouring island and received two arrow wounds, Devis arrived in India, where he settled for ten years, establishing a successful practice as a painter of portraits and local scenes. He attracted the attention of Sir William Jones, Lord Cornwallis and General Harris. He returned to England in 1795, concentrating mainly on painting portraits and a few notable history subjects. Perhaps his best known painting is the famous "Death of Nelson".
SIZE: 39 x 34.25 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: By descent in the family of the sitter.
Verso: an old depository label for Lord Teignmouth, and an illegible inscription.
£11,750
Portrait of The Hon. Frederick John Shore, ...
Item Number
9021
Oil on canvas in the original Regency gilt frame.
This is a superb portrait of the young nobleman, sensitive and insightful, his hair in the fashionably Byronic style. It is a fine example of the best work of Devis.
THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK JOHN SHORE, (1799-1827), 2nd son of the 1st Lord Teignmouth, Governor General of India and anti slavery campaigner.
The sitter was born in England in May 1799 and married Charlotte Mary Cornish (1800-1883), the daughter of his mother's younger brother, in January 1830. He was the author of "Indian Affairs", a noted political treatise, whilst an employee of the East India Company.
At this time the East India Company ruled large areas of India with its own private armies, exercising military power and assuming administrative functions.
Company rule in India effectively began in 1757 and lasted until 1858 when, following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Government of India Act 1858 led to the British Crown assuming direct control of India in the form of the new British Raj.
An old handwritten label verso informs us that Frederick was killed "at the storming of a Robber Fort in India" two days before his 38th birthday.
His wife bore him three children, Louisa Sara, Arthur Frederick and Clara Maria.
ARTHUR WILLIAM DEVIS (1762 - 1822). Devis was the son of Arthur Devis, a successful portrait painter. Devis enrolled at the Royal Academy Schools at the age of twelve and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1775. In 1782, he embarked aboard the Antelope for a voyage to the East Indies, in the capacity of draughtsman. The ship was wrecked and Devis and the crew were stranded for a year on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. After a series of extraordinary adventures, during which he took part in the wars of the natives on a neighbouring island and received two arrow wounds, Devis arrived in India, where he settled for ten years, establishing a successful practice as a painter of portraits and local scenes. He attracted the attention of Sir William Jones, Lord Cornwallis and General Harris. He returned to England in 1795, concentrating mainly on painting portraits and a few notable history subjects. Perhaps his best known painting is the famous "Death of Nelson".
SIZE: 39 x 34.25 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: By descent in the family of the sitter.
VERSO: two old handwritten labels, one described above, the other inscribed 'Property of Hugh Shore'. A modern label inscribed 'Lady Teignmouth'.
This is a superb portrait of the young nobleman, sensitive and insightful, his hair in the fashionably Byronic style. It is a fine example of the best work of Devis.
THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK JOHN SHORE, (1799-1827), 2nd son of the 1st Lord Teignmouth, Governor General of India and anti slavery campaigner.
The sitter was born in England in May 1799 and married Charlotte Mary Cornish (1800-1883), the daughter of his mother's younger brother, in January 1830. He was the author of "Indian Affairs", a noted political treatise, whilst an employee of the East India Company.
At this time the East India Company ruled large areas of India with its own private armies, exercising military power and assuming administrative functions.
Company rule in India effectively began in 1757 and lasted until 1858 when, following the Indian Rebellion of 1857, the Government of India Act 1858 led to the British Crown assuming direct control of India in the form of the new British Raj.
An old handwritten label verso informs us that Frederick was killed "at the storming of a Robber Fort in India" two days before his 38th birthday.
His wife bore him three children, Louisa Sara, Arthur Frederick and Clara Maria.
ARTHUR WILLIAM DEVIS (1762 - 1822). Devis was the son of Arthur Devis, a successful portrait painter. Devis enrolled at the Royal Academy Schools at the age of twelve and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1775. In 1782, he embarked aboard the Antelope for a voyage to the East Indies, in the capacity of draughtsman. The ship was wrecked and Devis and the crew were stranded for a year on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. After a series of extraordinary adventures, during which he took part in the wars of the natives on a neighbouring island and received two arrow wounds, Devis arrived in India, where he settled for ten years, establishing a successful practice as a painter of portraits and local scenes. He attracted the attention of Sir William Jones, Lord Cornwallis and General Harris. He returned to England in 1795, concentrating mainly on painting portraits and a few notable history subjects. Perhaps his best known painting is the famous "Death of Nelson".
SIZE: 39 x 34.25 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: By descent in the family of the sitter.
VERSO: two old handwritten labels, one described above, the other inscribed 'Property of Hugh Shore'. A modern label inscribed 'Lady Teignmouth'.
£11,750
Portrait of James Cecil, 5th Earl of ...
Item Number
9024
Oil on canvas in a 17th century carved and giltwood frame.
This is a fine quality three quarter length studio version of the full length painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller in 1695, in the collection of the present Earl of Salisbury at Hatfield House.
The young aristocrat wears faux Roman clothing for his portrait, this was a fashionable conceit of the time, and was known as 'elevating the sitter', it was thought to give the portrait a Classical, timeless look.
JAMES CECIL, 5th Earl of Salisbury was born on 8 June 169, he was the son of James Cecil, 4th Earl of Salisbury and Frances Bennett.
He married Lady Anne Tufton, daughter of Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet and Lady Catherine Cavendish, on 12 February 1708/9.
Succeeded to the title of 5th Earl of Salisbury [E., 1605] on 24 October 1694. Previously he had held the titles of 5th Baron Cecil of Essendon, Rutland and of 5th Viscount Cranborne, co. Dorset.
He graduated from Christ Church, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, in 1707 with a Master of Arts degree. He held the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire between 1712 and 1714. Died on 9 October 1728 at age 37.
Children of James Cecil, 5th Earl of Salisbury and Lady Anne Tufton:-
Lady Anne Cecil d. 3 Jul 1752
James Cecil, 6th Earl of Salisbury b. 20 Oct 1713, d. 19 Sep 1780
Lady Catherine Cecil b. 15 Aug 1719, d. 16 Aug 1752.
SIR GODFREY KNELLER (1646-1723) studied under Ferdinand Bol, and perhaps Rembrandt himself in the 1660s. He was in Rome and Venice between 1672 and 1675, settling in England in 1676 for life. He was soon employed at Court and became the most successful portraitist of the generation following Lely. He enjoyed the office of Principal Painter, at first jointly with John Riley (d.1691), from shortly after the accession of William and Mary in 1688 until his death. He was knighted in 1692 and became a baronet in 1715.
His work fully expresses the spirit of the English Baroque, and includes penetrating studies of many of the leading figures of Whig Society such as the famous Kit-Kat portraits now in the National Portrait Gallery (Beningborough Hall, Yorkshire), which include the likenesses of Sir John Vanbrugh, Charles 3rd Earl of Carlisle, and others.
SIZE: 38 x 33 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Northwest Yorkshire.
VERSO: an old label wrongly identifying the sitter as Lord Cecil Burghley.
Our thanks to the art historian Adam Busiakiewicz.
This is a fine quality three quarter length studio version of the full length painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller in 1695, in the collection of the present Earl of Salisbury at Hatfield House.
The young aristocrat wears faux Roman clothing for his portrait, this was a fashionable conceit of the time, and was known as 'elevating the sitter', it was thought to give the portrait a Classical, timeless look.
JAMES CECIL, 5th Earl of Salisbury was born on 8 June 169, he was the son of James Cecil, 4th Earl of Salisbury and Frances Bennett.
He married Lady Anne Tufton, daughter of Thomas Tufton, 6th Earl of Thanet and Lady Catherine Cavendish, on 12 February 1708/9.
Succeeded to the title of 5th Earl of Salisbury [E., 1605] on 24 October 1694. Previously he had held the titles of 5th Baron Cecil of Essendon, Rutland and of 5th Viscount Cranborne, co. Dorset.
He graduated from Christ Church, Oxford University, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, in 1707 with a Master of Arts degree. He held the office of Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire between 1712 and 1714. Died on 9 October 1728 at age 37.
Children of James Cecil, 5th Earl of Salisbury and Lady Anne Tufton:-
Lady Anne Cecil d. 3 Jul 1752
James Cecil, 6th Earl of Salisbury b. 20 Oct 1713, d. 19 Sep 1780
Lady Catherine Cecil b. 15 Aug 1719, d. 16 Aug 1752.
SIR GODFREY KNELLER (1646-1723) studied under Ferdinand Bol, and perhaps Rembrandt himself in the 1660s. He was in Rome and Venice between 1672 and 1675, settling in England in 1676 for life. He was soon employed at Court and became the most successful portraitist of the generation following Lely. He enjoyed the office of Principal Painter, at first jointly with John Riley (d.1691), from shortly after the accession of William and Mary in 1688 until his death. He was knighted in 1692 and became a baronet in 1715.
His work fully expresses the spirit of the English Baroque, and includes penetrating studies of many of the leading figures of Whig Society such as the famous Kit-Kat portraits now in the National Portrait Gallery (Beningborough Hall, Yorkshire), which include the likenesses of Sir John Vanbrugh, Charles 3rd Earl of Carlisle, and others.
SIZE: 38 x 33 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Northwest Yorkshire.
VERSO: an old label wrongly identifying the sitter as Lord Cecil Burghley.
Our thanks to the art historian Adam Busiakiewicz.
£11,500
Portrait of a Girl c.1655; Circle or ...
Item Number
9031
Oil on canvas in a very fine quality carved 17th century frame. The frame is not the original as it has been reduced, expertly, in size; however it of the right period and a work of art in its own right.
The frame bears an old label attributing the portrait to van Dyke.
As was fashionable in Dutch portraiture at this time the sitter clothes are a mixture of high fashion and fantasy. To make the costume seem as timeless as possible the lace collar and cuffs of the period are missing, and the girl is decorated with a draped cloth instead; the hairstyle, however, could not be more fashionable and the pearls, the Baroque jewels par excellence, are clearly displayed.
The sitter's eyes are modestly downcast, her arms across her abdomen ... a symbol of future fertility ..and as upper class girls married at 12-14 years of age, it is very likely that this is a pre-marriage portrait. This is a beautiful and quietly moving glimpse of a life lived over 350 years ago. Life expectancy was short and childbirth was dangerous. This girl's faraway look and slight smile make one wonder how her life progressed.....
JOHANNES MIJTENS (JAN MYTENS) 1614-1670, who came from The Hague, made an exceptional contribution to Netherlandish portraiture during what was to become known as the Dutch Golden Age. His sitters are always shown in a landscape setting and sometimes wear fantasy costumes, but for the most part they are dressed in a combination of contemporary fashion and fantasy. Although Mytens was influenced by Van Dyck and Van Honthorst his style is his own.
Mytens became a member of The Hague Guild of Saint Luke in 1642 and helped set up the Confrerie Pictura. He painted for Dutch royalty and specialised in portraiture, genre pieces, and historical allegories. Mytens was especially skilled at rendering the clothing of the affluent Dutch. According to the RKD, his students were Nicolaes Lissant, Gerard de Nijst, Adriaen Stalpert van der Wiele, Pouwels van de Velde, Andries Thijsz. de Wit, and Urbanus Talibert van Yperen. He died in The Hague.
SIZE: 41 x 34.75 inches including frame.
PROVENANCE: From the Collection of a Distinguished German Lady.
The frame bears an old label attributing the portrait to van Dyke.
As was fashionable in Dutch portraiture at this time the sitter clothes are a mixture of high fashion and fantasy. To make the costume seem as timeless as possible the lace collar and cuffs of the period are missing, and the girl is decorated with a draped cloth instead; the hairstyle, however, could not be more fashionable and the pearls, the Baroque jewels par excellence, are clearly displayed.
The sitter's eyes are modestly downcast, her arms across her abdomen ... a symbol of future fertility ..and as upper class girls married at 12-14 years of age, it is very likely that this is a pre-marriage portrait. This is a beautiful and quietly moving glimpse of a life lived over 350 years ago. Life expectancy was short and childbirth was dangerous. This girl's faraway look and slight smile make one wonder how her life progressed.....
JOHANNES MIJTENS (JAN MYTENS) 1614-1670, who came from The Hague, made an exceptional contribution to Netherlandish portraiture during what was to become known as the Dutch Golden Age. His sitters are always shown in a landscape setting and sometimes wear fantasy costumes, but for the most part they are dressed in a combination of contemporary fashion and fantasy. Although Mytens was influenced by Van Dyck and Van Honthorst his style is his own.
Mytens became a member of The Hague Guild of Saint Luke in 1642 and helped set up the Confrerie Pictura. He painted for Dutch royalty and specialised in portraiture, genre pieces, and historical allegories. Mytens was especially skilled at rendering the clothing of the affluent Dutch. According to the RKD, his students were Nicolaes Lissant, Gerard de Nijst, Adriaen Stalpert van der Wiele, Pouwels van de Velde, Andries Thijsz. de Wit, and Urbanus Talibert van Yperen. He died in The Hague.
SIZE: 41 x 34.75 inches including frame.
PROVENANCE: From the Collection of a Distinguished German Lady.
£11,350
Double portrait of Colonel and Mrs. Adams ...
Item Number
8854
Oil on canvas in reproduction 18th c. style gilt frame.
Inscribed, upper right, 'Col.n Sam & Rose Adams'.
A pleasing double portrait of Colonel Samuel Adams and his wife Rose, to whom he offers his snuff box for her to take a pinch. This is most unusual in portraiture.
(Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century.
It was generally inhaled or "snuffed" through the nose, usually directly from the fingers.
By the 18th century, snuff had become the tobacco product of choice among the upper classes, both male and female. The taking of snuff helped to distinguish the elite members of society from the common populace, which generally smoked its tobacco.)
PHILIPPE MERCIER (also known as Philip Mercier; 1689 in Berlin – 18 July 1760 in London) was a French painter and etcher, who lived principally and was active in England. He was born in Berlin of French extraction, the son of a Huguenot tapestry-worker. He studied painting at the Akademie der Wissenschaften of Berlin and later under Antoine Pesne, who had arrived in Berlin in 1710. Later, he travelled in Italy and France before arriving in London—"recommended by the Court at Hannover"—probably in 1716. He married in London in 1719 and lived in Leicester Fields.
He was appointed Principal Painter and librarian to the Prince and Princess of Wales at their independent establishment in Leicester Fields, and while he was in favour he painted various portraits of the royals, and no doubt many of the nobility and gentry. Of the royal portraits, those of the Prince of Wales and of his three sisters, painted in 1728, were all engraved in mezzotint by Jean Pierre Simon, and that of the three elder children of the Prince of Wales by John Faber Junior in 1744.
Mercier became involved in a scandal of sorts and he lost favour. He left London around 1740 and settled in York, where he practiced portrait painting for over ten years, before returning to London in 1751. In 1752, Mercier went to Portugal at the request of several English merchants. He did not long remain there, however, but came back to London, where he died in 1760.
SIZE: 45 x 51.5 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:
*Edward Abadam, Middleton Hall, Carmarthenshire, thence by descent.
*Sold Christie's 1980.
*American Private Collection.
*With Roy Precious Fine Art.
* Collection of a Fellow of a Cambridge College.
Verso: old inventory number; old Christie's stencil; old handwritten label "Colonel Samuel & Mrs. Adams. P. Mercier. To Christie's York from Vaughn, 102 Westbourne Ave. Hull"
Inscribed, upper right, 'Col.n Sam & Rose Adams'.
A pleasing double portrait of Colonel Samuel Adams and his wife Rose, to whom he offers his snuff box for her to take a pinch. This is most unusual in portraiture.
(Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century.
It was generally inhaled or "snuffed" through the nose, usually directly from the fingers.
By the 18th century, snuff had become the tobacco product of choice among the upper classes, both male and female. The taking of snuff helped to distinguish the elite members of society from the common populace, which generally smoked its tobacco.)
PHILIPPE MERCIER (also known as Philip Mercier; 1689 in Berlin – 18 July 1760 in London) was a French painter and etcher, who lived principally and was active in England. He was born in Berlin of French extraction, the son of a Huguenot tapestry-worker. He studied painting at the Akademie der Wissenschaften of Berlin and later under Antoine Pesne, who had arrived in Berlin in 1710. Later, he travelled in Italy and France before arriving in London—"recommended by the Court at Hannover"—probably in 1716. He married in London in 1719 and lived in Leicester Fields.
He was appointed Principal Painter and librarian to the Prince and Princess of Wales at their independent establishment in Leicester Fields, and while he was in favour he painted various portraits of the royals, and no doubt many of the nobility and gentry. Of the royal portraits, those of the Prince of Wales and of his three sisters, painted in 1728, were all engraved in mezzotint by Jean Pierre Simon, and that of the three elder children of the Prince of Wales by John Faber Junior in 1744.
Mercier became involved in a scandal of sorts and he lost favour. He left London around 1740 and settled in York, where he practiced portrait painting for over ten years, before returning to London in 1751. In 1752, Mercier went to Portugal at the request of several English merchants. He did not long remain there, however, but came back to London, where he died in 1760.
SIZE: 45 x 51.5 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:
*Edward Abadam, Middleton Hall, Carmarthenshire, thence by descent.
*Sold Christie's 1980.
*American Private Collection.
*With Roy Precious Fine Art.
* Collection of a Fellow of a Cambridge College.
Verso: old inventory number; old Christie's stencil; old handwritten label "Colonel Samuel & Mrs. Adams. P. Mercier. To Christie's York from Vaughn, 102 Westbourne Ave. Hull"
£10,985
Portrait of Three French Aristocratic Children c.1690; ...
Item Number
8763
Oil on canvas in 18th century giltwood frame.
A superb quality large 17th century portrait of three children of the French nobility. Such is the splendour and expense of their fashionable clothing that the girls may be princesses, especially as a young gentleman kneels before them. Possibly some of Louis XIV's numerous progeny sired on his several mistresses. Louis legitimised these children and they all received titles.
On the reverse of the painting is a very faint inscription which seems to read "Children of Louis 14th by Pierre Mignard".
The painting has been reduced in size and changed from rectangle to oval, probably in the late 18th century, as that is the date of the frame, whether because of damage or for a decorative purpose is not known.
PIERRE MIGNARD (1612-1695) was a member of a family of artists, he was a painter in the classical French Baroque manner, known primarily for his court portraits.
In 1635 Mignard left the studio of Simon Vouet for Italy, where he spent 22 years and made a reputation that brought him a summons to Paris in 1657. Successful with his portrait of Louis XIV and in favour with the court, Mignard pitted himself against Charles Le Brun; he declined to enter the French Royal Academy, of which Le Brun was the head, and he organized the opposition to its authority.
Mignard was chiefly active in portraiture; many of the beauties and celebrities of his day sat for him, including Molière, the Viscount de Turenne, Jacques Bossuet, the Marquise de Maintenon, the Marquise de Sévigné, and the Marquise de Montespan. His skilful technique and graceful arrangements are noteworthy.
With the death of Le Brun (1690), Mignard succeeded to all the posts held by his opponent. These late honours he did not long enjoy. He died while about to commence work on the cupola of the Hôtel des Invalides. His brother Nicolas Mignard (1606–68) and his nephew Paul Mignard (c. 1638–91) were also accomplished painters.
SIZE:56 x 44 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:Collection of Maria Carmela, Viscountess Hambleden of Hambleden Manor, Buckinghamshire since the 1950s.
This portrait was selected by John Fowler, of Colefax and Fowler, in the 1950s, for Hambleden Manor, home of the Viscountess Hambleden.
(Image 10 shows Hambleden Manor)
A superb quality large 17th century portrait of three children of the French nobility. Such is the splendour and expense of their fashionable clothing that the girls may be princesses, especially as a young gentleman kneels before them. Possibly some of Louis XIV's numerous progeny sired on his several mistresses. Louis legitimised these children and they all received titles.
On the reverse of the painting is a very faint inscription which seems to read "Children of Louis 14th by Pierre Mignard".
The painting has been reduced in size and changed from rectangle to oval, probably in the late 18th century, as that is the date of the frame, whether because of damage or for a decorative purpose is not known.
PIERRE MIGNARD (1612-1695) was a member of a family of artists, he was a painter in the classical French Baroque manner, known primarily for his court portraits.
In 1635 Mignard left the studio of Simon Vouet for Italy, where he spent 22 years and made a reputation that brought him a summons to Paris in 1657. Successful with his portrait of Louis XIV and in favour with the court, Mignard pitted himself against Charles Le Brun; he declined to enter the French Royal Academy, of which Le Brun was the head, and he organized the opposition to its authority.
Mignard was chiefly active in portraiture; many of the beauties and celebrities of his day sat for him, including Molière, the Viscount de Turenne, Jacques Bossuet, the Marquise de Maintenon, the Marquise de Sévigné, and the Marquise de Montespan. His skilful technique and graceful arrangements are noteworthy.
With the death of Le Brun (1690), Mignard succeeded to all the posts held by his opponent. These late honours he did not long enjoy. He died while about to commence work on the cupola of the Hôtel des Invalides. His brother Nicolas Mignard (1606–68) and his nephew Paul Mignard (c. 1638–91) were also accomplished painters.
SIZE:56 x 44 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:Collection of Maria Carmela, Viscountess Hambleden of Hambleden Manor, Buckinghamshire since the 1950s.
This portrait was selected by John Fowler, of Colefax and Fowler, in the 1950s, for Hambleden Manor, home of the Viscountess Hambleden.
(Image 10 shows Hambleden Manor)
£10,950
Portrait of an Officer c.1710; Attributed to ...
Item Number
8894
Oil on canvas in the original high quality carved and giltwood frame.
A fine portrait of a military officer, almost certainly by Kneller. There is considerable quality here as can be seen, in the face, the hands (often problematic to many artists) and in the totally believable way the officer's clothing is painted.
Although this portrait has descended through one family for at least 160 years the identity of the sitter had been lost. In fact it had come to be believed that the sitter had been an officer in the Peninsular war of 1818-1814 and had served under Wellington! The clothes, the wig...in fact the whole portrait...clearly show a date 100 years earlier than that.
Unknown the sitter may be (although the family say his surname was Witherden) but this is an excellent portrait of the early 18th century.
It is a fine example of the Augustan style portrait for which Kneller is now best remembered. It dates from his later middle period (c.1710), when he produced his most distinguished paintings including the celebrated Kit-Kat series.
SIR GODFREY KNELLER (1646-1723) studied under Ferdinand Bol, and perhaps Rembrandt himself in the 1660s. He was in Rome and Venice between 1672 and 1675, settling in England in 1676 for life. He was soon employed at Court and became the most successful portraitist of the generation following Lely. He enjoyed the office of Principal Painter, at first jointly with John Riley (d.1691), from shortly after the accession of William and Mary in 1688 until his death. He was knighted in 1692 and became a baronet in 1715.
His work fully expresses the spirit of the English Baroque, and includes penetrating studies of many of the leading figures of Whig Society such as the famous Kit-Kat portraits now in the National Portrait Gallery (Beningborough Hall, Yorkshire), which include the likenesses of Sir John Vanbrugh, Charles 3rd Earl of Carlisle, and others.
SIZE: 58 x 48 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:With a Surrey family for at least a century and a half.
A fine portrait of a military officer, almost certainly by Kneller. There is considerable quality here as can be seen, in the face, the hands (often problematic to many artists) and in the totally believable way the officer's clothing is painted.
Although this portrait has descended through one family for at least 160 years the identity of the sitter had been lost. In fact it had come to be believed that the sitter had been an officer in the Peninsular war of 1818-1814 and had served under Wellington! The clothes, the wig...in fact the whole portrait...clearly show a date 100 years earlier than that.
Unknown the sitter may be (although the family say his surname was Witherden) but this is an excellent portrait of the early 18th century.
It is a fine example of the Augustan style portrait for which Kneller is now best remembered. It dates from his later middle period (c.1710), when he produced his most distinguished paintings including the celebrated Kit-Kat series.
SIR GODFREY KNELLER (1646-1723) studied under Ferdinand Bol, and perhaps Rembrandt himself in the 1660s. He was in Rome and Venice between 1672 and 1675, settling in England in 1676 for life. He was soon employed at Court and became the most successful portraitist of the generation following Lely. He enjoyed the office of Principal Painter, at first jointly with John Riley (d.1691), from shortly after the accession of William and Mary in 1688 until his death. He was knighted in 1692 and became a baronet in 1715.
His work fully expresses the spirit of the English Baroque, and includes penetrating studies of many of the leading figures of Whig Society such as the famous Kit-Kat portraits now in the National Portrait Gallery (Beningborough Hall, Yorkshire), which include the likenesses of Sir John Vanbrugh, Charles 3rd Earl of Carlisle, and others.
SIZE: 58 x 48 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:With a Surrey family for at least a century and a half.
£10,950
Double Portrait of a Lady and Gentleman ...
Item Number
8602
Oil on canvas now mounted on board in fine period carved and giltwood frame.
This type of small scale portrait is known as a conversation piece and .."was the first real break with the stereotyped portraiture of the early 18th century. It was essentially a private rather than a public art form.
The aim of the coversation piece was to catch the sitter with family and friends in action, and Hogarth, a friend of Hayman's, succeeded extremely well at this." (Francis Hayman by Brian Allen).
Hogarth was a positive influence on Hayman as he had demonstrated that there was a good market for the small scale conversation piece.
In this portrait the male sitter has discarded his wig and wears a velvet cap of the type associated with artists, writers and other creative people. He also wears an expensive silk 'tea gown' to emphasise his relaxation at home. It is clear that the world of literature is being emphasised...a door opens onto a library, more books are on the table and the lady holds a volume with her finger marking her place.
The middle class panelled room is typical of Hayman and occurs many times in his conversation pieces and are, more often than not, a version of his own panelled studio.
FRANCIS HAYMAN R.A. (c.1708-1776) was born in Devon and painted scenery as well as genre, historical subjects and portraits. He had a successful career producing conversation pieces, theartical portraits and small full lengths through the 1740s and 50s, although he also painted on the scale of life. He helped in the foundation of the Society of Artists in 1760 and was President 1766-68; after which he became a Foundation Member of the Royal Academy, and its Librarian in 1771.
Among the pupils in his studio were Thomas Gainsborough R.A. and Nathaniel Dance R.A.
SIZE: 30 x 35 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Verso, handwritten label "Property of Major J.M.D. Wyatt, Roberstbridge House, Robertsbridge, Sussex"
The late major was the last member of the family which had connections with the D'Obrees in Guernsey.
This type of small scale portrait is known as a conversation piece and .."was the first real break with the stereotyped portraiture of the early 18th century. It was essentially a private rather than a public art form.
The aim of the coversation piece was to catch the sitter with family and friends in action, and Hogarth, a friend of Hayman's, succeeded extremely well at this." (Francis Hayman by Brian Allen).
Hogarth was a positive influence on Hayman as he had demonstrated that there was a good market for the small scale conversation piece.
In this portrait the male sitter has discarded his wig and wears a velvet cap of the type associated with artists, writers and other creative people. He also wears an expensive silk 'tea gown' to emphasise his relaxation at home. It is clear that the world of literature is being emphasised...a door opens onto a library, more books are on the table and the lady holds a volume with her finger marking her place.
The middle class panelled room is typical of Hayman and occurs many times in his conversation pieces and are, more often than not, a version of his own panelled studio.
FRANCIS HAYMAN R.A. (c.1708-1776) was born in Devon and painted scenery as well as genre, historical subjects and portraits. He had a successful career producing conversation pieces, theartical portraits and small full lengths through the 1740s and 50s, although he also painted on the scale of life. He helped in the foundation of the Society of Artists in 1760 and was President 1766-68; after which he became a Foundation Member of the Royal Academy, and its Librarian in 1771.
Among the pupils in his studio were Thomas Gainsborough R.A. and Nathaniel Dance R.A.
SIZE: 30 x 35 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Verso, handwritten label "Property of Major J.M.D. Wyatt, Roberstbridge House, Robertsbridge, Sussex"
The late major was the last member of the family which had connections with the D'Obrees in Guernsey.
£9,950
Portrait of Young Boy c.1620: Italian School. ...
Item Number
8716
Oil on canvas in a parcel gilt and ebonised frame.
This charming naive portrait depicts a boy, almost certainly of aristocratic birth, wearing extremely expensive clothing.
Painted c.1620, this is probably Northern Italian, rather mannered and stiff, it is clearly the work of a provincial artist of only moderate talent; yet the slightly primitive feel, the lack of assurance in perspective and proportion, give this endearing image an intimacy and directness sometimes lacking in the more accomplished portraiture of the period.
Probably painted when he was five or six, as this was the age at which a boy stopped wearing skirts and adopted the clothing of a man.
The boy rests his left hand on a lavishly clothed table and looks assuredly at the viewer.
On the window ledge are two cherries which symbolise youth; the cherry was also known as the Fruit of Paradise, given as a reward for virtue, it also symbolises Heaven.
Amongst the flowers can be seen white jasmine which represents amiability of character.
SIZE:46 x 34 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:
*Kellogg.
*By descent to V.V.Edwards, 14 June 1883.
*Galeria La Granja, Mexico City.
*English Private Collection.
This charming naive portrait depicts a boy, almost certainly of aristocratic birth, wearing extremely expensive clothing.
Painted c.1620, this is probably Northern Italian, rather mannered and stiff, it is clearly the work of a provincial artist of only moderate talent; yet the slightly primitive feel, the lack of assurance in perspective and proportion, give this endearing image an intimacy and directness sometimes lacking in the more accomplished portraiture of the period.
Probably painted when he was five or six, as this was the age at which a boy stopped wearing skirts and adopted the clothing of a man.
The boy rests his left hand on a lavishly clothed table and looks assuredly at the viewer.
On the window ledge are two cherries which symbolise youth; the cherry was also known as the Fruit of Paradise, given as a reward for virtue, it also symbolises Heaven.
Amongst the flowers can be seen white jasmine which represents amiability of character.
SIZE:46 x 34 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:
*Kellogg.
*By descent to V.V.Edwards, 14 June 1883.
*Galeria La Granja, Mexico City.
*English Private Collection.
£9,850
Naive Portrait of a Family, possibly American ...
Item Number
8799
This is an enchanting naive portrait of a family of four, possibly American.
The unknown artist has filled the portrait with symbolism, which would be readily understood by the contemporary viewer.
The husband places his arm protectively around his wife whilst he rests his hand on a volume entitled 'Pope's Essays'; Alexander Pope wrote several 'essays' of which perhaps the most famous was 'The Essay on Man'.
The poem is an affirmative poem of faith: life seems to be chaotic and confusing to Man when he is in the centre of it, but according to Pope it is really divinely ordered. The limited intelligence of Man can only take in tiny portions of this order and can experience only partial truths, hence Man must rely on hope which then leads into faith. It is Man's duty to strive to be good regardless of other situations.
The wife rests her hand on a basket of flowers signifying her fruitfulness and the warning that time is fleeting.
The eldest boy has a parrot; these were expensive and exotic birds, thus displaying the wealth of the family. Also, in portraiture and contemporary literature, parrots, which could be trained to speak and perform tricks, were used as examples of the love of learning to which children should aspire.
The youngest boy holds a bow, which was an indication of the noble status of the hunter and provider.
The stone column and huge swag of red velvet were both a conventional way of depicting high status.
SIZE: 35 x 42 inches canvas.
39.75 x 46.5 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: The Joan Hurst Collection.
The unknown artist has filled the portrait with symbolism, which would be readily understood by the contemporary viewer.
The husband places his arm protectively around his wife whilst he rests his hand on a volume entitled 'Pope's Essays'; Alexander Pope wrote several 'essays' of which perhaps the most famous was 'The Essay on Man'.
The poem is an affirmative poem of faith: life seems to be chaotic and confusing to Man when he is in the centre of it, but according to Pope it is really divinely ordered. The limited intelligence of Man can only take in tiny portions of this order and can experience only partial truths, hence Man must rely on hope which then leads into faith. It is Man's duty to strive to be good regardless of other situations.
The wife rests her hand on a basket of flowers signifying her fruitfulness and the warning that time is fleeting.
The eldest boy has a parrot; these were expensive and exotic birds, thus displaying the wealth of the family. Also, in portraiture and contemporary literature, parrots, which could be trained to speak and perform tricks, were used as examples of the love of learning to which children should aspire.
The youngest boy holds a bow, which was an indication of the noble status of the hunter and provider.
The stone column and huge swag of red velvet were both a conventional way of depicting high status.
SIZE: 35 x 42 inches canvas.
39.75 x 46.5 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: The Joan Hurst Collection.
£9,850
Portrait of Phillipa Speke, later Lady Trenchard, ...
Item Number
9028
Oil on canvas in a gilded 19th century frame. (Frame has some small losses and a damage to the lower right).
At a glance this could be by Mary Beale; the pose and especially the feigned stone oval are characteristic of her work. However, the pose and oval were used by several artists, most notably Sir Peter Lely.
When the painting went for conservation a hardboard backing was removed and, painted on the lining, in what appears to be an 18th century hand, is an inscription naming the sitter as Miss Trenchard, painted by William Wissing in 1682.
Below are excepts from research by Adam Busiakiewicz, art historian:-
" I believe that your portrait very likely to be Philip(a) Trenchard , wife of Sir John Trenchard (1649-1695).
I believe Sir John's wife, Philip(a) daughter of George Speke esq. of Whitelackington, is the best candidate.
She was born in 1663/4 and married Sir John in 1682 - the year that this portrait was made. I think that this portrait was probably made to celebrate their marriage,
I think that there is little doubt that this is a picture by Wissing, dating to 1682.
The quality of the picture is rather good, with lots of character in the face. The blushing cheeks are well painted too. It has far more depth that a Beale. I have attached a few comparisons.
Wissing did paint decorative ovals, although far less often than Beale.
The drapery is good too and lacks the solidity you find in Beale.
The strong political connections between Sir John Trenchard and William III, who was eventually painted by Wissing many times, makes this connection rather interesting.
Of course, we have lots of portraits of William and Mary that Wissing produced from his studio with great speed. One often finds that Wissing eventually settled down into a rather stiff and formulaic manner (as many court painters often did), but, this particular portrait is filled with character and freshness."
SIR JOHN TRENCHARD (30 March 1649 – 27 April 16950 was one of Stuart England’s most accomplished and controversial aristocratic statesmen or “principal secretary of state for life”.
He belonged to an old Dorset family. He was born on 30 March 1649 at Lytchett Matravers, near Poole, to Thomas Trenchard of Wolverton (1615–1671), and his wife Hannah née Henley (d. 1691). His grandfather was Sir Thomas Trenchard of Wolverton (1582–1657), who was knighted by James I in 1613. John Trenchard entered Parliament as member for Taunton in 1679. He associated himself with those who proposed to exclude the Duke of York from the throne, and attended some of the meetings held by these malcontents. It is possible he was concerned in the Rye House Plot. In fact, he was arrested at one of the events in July 1683, but no definite evidence was brought against him so he was released.
When Monmouth landed in the west of England in June 1685, Trenchard fled from England to Groningen, Netherlands. Around 1687-1688, he was pardoned , and able to return home. Again he entered Parliament, but he took no active part in the Revolution of 1688, although he managed to secure the good will of William III. On 29 October 1689, he was knighted by the King, and made Chief Justice of Chester. In 1692, he was appointed Secretary of State.
On 10 November 1682, he had married: Philippa Speke (1664–1743), daughter of George Speke of White Lackington, Somerset.
Sir John died on 27 April 1695 at Kensington, London, and is buried at Bloxworth, Dorset.
Phillipa remarried and lived for another 50 years.
WILLIAM WISSING (1656 - 1687) After Lely's death in 1680, Wissing emerged as his most important pupil. Wissing’s royal sitters include Charles II of England, Queen Catharine of Braganza, Prince George of Denmark and the Duke of Monmouth.
SIZE; 39 x 34 inches inc.frame.
PROVENANCE: descent in a Dorset family. (It is plausible that this of portrait might have descended down with the Trenchard family, of Lychett Maltravers, Dorset)
At a glance this could be by Mary Beale; the pose and especially the feigned stone oval are characteristic of her work. However, the pose and oval were used by several artists, most notably Sir Peter Lely.
When the painting went for conservation a hardboard backing was removed and, painted on the lining, in what appears to be an 18th century hand, is an inscription naming the sitter as Miss Trenchard, painted by William Wissing in 1682.
Below are excepts from research by Adam Busiakiewicz, art historian:-
" I believe that your portrait very likely to be Philip(a) Trenchard , wife of Sir John Trenchard (1649-1695).
I believe Sir John's wife, Philip(a) daughter of George Speke esq. of Whitelackington, is the best candidate.
She was born in 1663/4 and married Sir John in 1682 - the year that this portrait was made. I think that this portrait was probably made to celebrate their marriage,
I think that there is little doubt that this is a picture by Wissing, dating to 1682.
The quality of the picture is rather good, with lots of character in the face. The blushing cheeks are well painted too. It has far more depth that a Beale. I have attached a few comparisons.
Wissing did paint decorative ovals, although far less often than Beale.
The drapery is good too and lacks the solidity you find in Beale.
The strong political connections between Sir John Trenchard and William III, who was eventually painted by Wissing many times, makes this connection rather interesting.
Of course, we have lots of portraits of William and Mary that Wissing produced from his studio with great speed. One often finds that Wissing eventually settled down into a rather stiff and formulaic manner (as many court painters often did), but, this particular portrait is filled with character and freshness."
SIR JOHN TRENCHARD (30 March 1649 – 27 April 16950 was one of Stuart England’s most accomplished and controversial aristocratic statesmen or “principal secretary of state for life”.
He belonged to an old Dorset family. He was born on 30 March 1649 at Lytchett Matravers, near Poole, to Thomas Trenchard of Wolverton (1615–1671), and his wife Hannah née Henley (d. 1691). His grandfather was Sir Thomas Trenchard of Wolverton (1582–1657), who was knighted by James I in 1613. John Trenchard entered Parliament as member for Taunton in 1679. He associated himself with those who proposed to exclude the Duke of York from the throne, and attended some of the meetings held by these malcontents. It is possible he was concerned in the Rye House Plot. In fact, he was arrested at one of the events in July 1683, but no definite evidence was brought against him so he was released.
When Monmouth landed in the west of England in June 1685, Trenchard fled from England to Groningen, Netherlands. Around 1687-1688, he was pardoned , and able to return home. Again he entered Parliament, but he took no active part in the Revolution of 1688, although he managed to secure the good will of William III. On 29 October 1689, he was knighted by the King, and made Chief Justice of Chester. In 1692, he was appointed Secretary of State.
On 10 November 1682, he had married: Philippa Speke (1664–1743), daughter of George Speke of White Lackington, Somerset.
Sir John died on 27 April 1695 at Kensington, London, and is buried at Bloxworth, Dorset.
Phillipa remarried and lived for another 50 years.
WILLIAM WISSING (1656 - 1687) After Lely's death in 1680, Wissing emerged as his most important pupil. Wissing’s royal sitters include Charles II of England, Queen Catharine of Braganza, Prince George of Denmark and the Duke of Monmouth.
SIZE; 39 x 34 inches inc.frame.
PROVENANCE: descent in a Dorset family. (It is plausible that this of portrait might have descended down with the Trenchard family, of Lychett Maltravers, Dorset)
£9,850
King Edward VI (1537-1553), c.1690-1700, Manner of ...
Item Number
9033
Oil on panel in an 18th century frame.
'The image is unusual, broadly similar but not quite the same as the various 'Scrots' templates. However the identical image, same size, panel, etc is in the collection at Trinity College, Cambridge.' Richard Grigson.
As an official royal likeness portraits of this type were in circulation from circa 1550 and were particularly favoured by noble families who wished to demonstrate their allegiance to the monarchy. This portrait was almost certainly one of a group of corridor portraits designed to hang beside fellow monarchs and men and women of rank and historical note.
EDWARD VI (1537-1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was the only legitimate son of Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. He was born at Hampton Court on October 12th, 1531, His mother dying 12 days later. The heir to the throne, ''His Majesty's most noble jewel'', was brought up with every precaution to ensure his good health. Recent research reveals him as a normally strong and healthy boy, fond of athlethic exercises such as hunting and hawking. Edward was little more than nine when he succeeded to the throne on the death of his father in 1547. In April 1552 he suffered from measles and smallpox, recovering by the end of May, and thereafter he was very much under the influence of the Duke of Northumberland. Early in 1553 Edward became ill with consumption, from which he never recovered. At this time the Duke of Northumberland convinced Edward to ''devise'' the succession to Lady Jane Grey, Northumberland''s daughter-in-law. Edward died on 6th July 1553 and was buried at Whitehall.
After his accession to the throne, Edward appears to have sat only once more for his portrait in around 1550 and was painted by William Scrots. This sitting was the likely source for all subsequent variants, in all shapes and sizes, produced of Edward as the King by the Scrots studio, both during the monarch's brief reign and after Elizabeth I's accession and the subsequent re-affirmation of the Protestant faith. Scrots had been court painter to the Regent of the Netherlands, Mary of Hungary , and was recruited by Henry VIII as Holbein's successor at the close of 1545. His work, covering less than 10 years in this country, has never been satisfactorily reconstructed. One certain work can be associated with him from this period - the distorted perspective portrait of Edward dated 1546 (National Portrait Gallery, London). This bore the signature ''Guilhelmus pingebat'' as late as 1713.
WILLIAM (GUILLIM) SCROTS fl.1537-1553. Court portrait painter from the Netherlands. Painter to Mary of Hungary, Regent of the Netherlands,1537, and persuaded to come to England in 1545, probably to succeed Holbein. He was perhaps the most able available Hapsburg Court portrait painter at the time. He disappears from the Royal Accounts in 1553.
SIZE: panel size 15.75 x 11.75 inches.
framed size 23 x 19 inches.
PROVENANCE: Charles James Toovey Esq., Harley House, Regents Park, London.
With Leggatt's, London, by 1929. Sold for £29 to Captain A.S. Wills (1879-1961) of Thornby Hall, Northamptonshire;
then by descent through the family at Middleton House, Longparish, Hampshire.
'The image is unusual, broadly similar but not quite the same as the various 'Scrots' templates. However the identical image, same size, panel, etc is in the collection at Trinity College, Cambridge.' Richard Grigson.
As an official royal likeness portraits of this type were in circulation from circa 1550 and were particularly favoured by noble families who wished to demonstrate their allegiance to the monarchy. This portrait was almost certainly one of a group of corridor portraits designed to hang beside fellow monarchs and men and women of rank and historical note.
EDWARD VI (1537-1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was the only legitimate son of Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. He was born at Hampton Court on October 12th, 1531, His mother dying 12 days later. The heir to the throne, ''His Majesty's most noble jewel'', was brought up with every precaution to ensure his good health. Recent research reveals him as a normally strong and healthy boy, fond of athlethic exercises such as hunting and hawking. Edward was little more than nine when he succeeded to the throne on the death of his father in 1547. In April 1552 he suffered from measles and smallpox, recovering by the end of May, and thereafter he was very much under the influence of the Duke of Northumberland. Early in 1553 Edward became ill with consumption, from which he never recovered. At this time the Duke of Northumberland convinced Edward to ''devise'' the succession to Lady Jane Grey, Northumberland''s daughter-in-law. Edward died on 6th July 1553 and was buried at Whitehall.
After his accession to the throne, Edward appears to have sat only once more for his portrait in around 1550 and was painted by William Scrots. This sitting was the likely source for all subsequent variants, in all shapes and sizes, produced of Edward as the King by the Scrots studio, both during the monarch's brief reign and after Elizabeth I's accession and the subsequent re-affirmation of the Protestant faith. Scrots had been court painter to the Regent of the Netherlands, Mary of Hungary , and was recruited by Henry VIII as Holbein's successor at the close of 1545. His work, covering less than 10 years in this country, has never been satisfactorily reconstructed. One certain work can be associated with him from this period - the distorted perspective portrait of Edward dated 1546 (National Portrait Gallery, London). This bore the signature ''Guilhelmus pingebat'' as late as 1713.
WILLIAM (GUILLIM) SCROTS fl.1537-1553. Court portrait painter from the Netherlands. Painter to Mary of Hungary, Regent of the Netherlands,1537, and persuaded to come to England in 1545, probably to succeed Holbein. He was perhaps the most able available Hapsburg Court portrait painter at the time. He disappears from the Royal Accounts in 1553.
SIZE: panel size 15.75 x 11.75 inches.
framed size 23 x 19 inches.
PROVENANCE: Charles James Toovey Esq., Harley House, Regents Park, London.
With Leggatt's, London, by 1929. Sold for £29 to Captain A.S. Wills (1879-1961) of Thornby Hall, Northamptonshire;
then by descent through the family at Middleton House, Longparish, Hampshire.
£9,850
Portrait of Mary Finch c. 1702; Attributed ...
Item Number
8956
Oil on canvas in period carved and giltwood frame. Top left, a small inscription giving the name of the sitter and other information.
A charming portrait of the young Mary Finch (1690-1764). To her right are flowers symbolising her youth and the transience of life. She gathers more flowers within the lap of her dress, a token of future fertility.
Mary was the daughter of William Finch of Tenterden, Kent. She married William Dobell in 1722 and had two daughters; Barbara Dobell, born 1726, and Mary Dobell, born 1728. Mary died at Folkington, Sussex aged 74.
The Finches were a gentry family with aristocratic connections, related to the Finch Earls of Nottingham, Winchelsea and Aylesford.
SIZE: 37.25 x 32.5 x 2.25 inches including frame.
PROVENANCE: By family descent.
Verso, on the frame and canvas two wax seals bearing the coat of arms of the Finches, and a printed coat of arms of Richard Almack. Also a handwritten copperplate inscription giving the name of the sitter and other information.
A great deal of old handwritten information about the Finch family tree accompanies the portrait.
ROBERT BYNG (1666 - 1720) was born in Wiltshire, but is buried in Oxford where he died in 1720, having lived there since before 1714.
He was a pupil of, and very strongly influenced by, Sir Godfrey Kneller (Principal Painter to the King and the most distinguished Baroque portraitist in England).
Byng's earliest dated portraits are c.1697; one of his younger brothers, Edward, was drapery painter to Kneller and his principal assistant.
A charming portrait of the young Mary Finch (1690-1764). To her right are flowers symbolising her youth and the transience of life. She gathers more flowers within the lap of her dress, a token of future fertility.
Mary was the daughter of William Finch of Tenterden, Kent. She married William Dobell in 1722 and had two daughters; Barbara Dobell, born 1726, and Mary Dobell, born 1728. Mary died at Folkington, Sussex aged 74.
The Finches were a gentry family with aristocratic connections, related to the Finch Earls of Nottingham, Winchelsea and Aylesford.
SIZE: 37.25 x 32.5 x 2.25 inches including frame.
PROVENANCE: By family descent.
Verso, on the frame and canvas two wax seals bearing the coat of arms of the Finches, and a printed coat of arms of Richard Almack. Also a handwritten copperplate inscription giving the name of the sitter and other information.
A great deal of old handwritten information about the Finch family tree accompanies the portrait.
ROBERT BYNG (1666 - 1720) was born in Wiltshire, but is buried in Oxford where he died in 1720, having lived there since before 1714.
He was a pupil of, and very strongly influenced by, Sir Godfrey Kneller (Principal Painter to the King and the most distinguished Baroque portraitist in England).
Byng's earliest dated portraits are c.1697; one of his younger brothers, Edward, was drapery painter to Kneller and his principal assistant.
£9,650
Portrait of Elizabeth Finch c.1702; Attributed to ...
Item Number
8957
Oil on canvas in period carved and giltwood frame. Top left, a small inscription giving the name of the sitter and other information.
A charming portrait of the young Elizabeth Finch (1694-1720) wearing a feather headdress. She feeds a dove with half a biscuit; the dove symbolises love and affection, and the peacock feathers integrity, and in the Christian faith, resurrection and immortality.
Elizabeth was the younger daughter of William Finch of Thenterden, Kent and the younger sister of Mary.
Elizabeth never married and died in 1720 aged 26. She is buried at Tenterden.
The Finches were a gentry family with aristocratic connections, related to the Finch Earls of Nottingham, Winchelsea and Aylesford.
SIZE: 37.25 x 32.5 x 2.25 inches including frame.
PROVENANCE: By family descent.
Verso, on the frame and canvas two wax seals bearing coat of arms, and a printed coat of arms of Richard Almack. Also a handwritten copperplate inscription giving the name of the sitter and other information.
A great deal of old handwritten information about the Finch family tree accompanies the portrait.
ROBERT BYNG (1666 - 1720) was born in Wiltshire, but is buried in Oxford where he died in 1720, having lived there since before 1714.
He was a pupil of, and very strongly influenced by, Sir Godfrey Kneller (Principal Painter to the King and the most distinguished Baroque portraitist in England).
Byng's earliest dated portraits are c.1697; one of his younger brothers, Edward, was drapery painter to Kneller and his principal assistant.
A charming portrait of the young Elizabeth Finch (1694-1720) wearing a feather headdress. She feeds a dove with half a biscuit; the dove symbolises love and affection, and the peacock feathers integrity, and in the Christian faith, resurrection and immortality.
Elizabeth was the younger daughter of William Finch of Thenterden, Kent and the younger sister of Mary.
Elizabeth never married and died in 1720 aged 26. She is buried at Tenterden.
The Finches were a gentry family with aristocratic connections, related to the Finch Earls of Nottingham, Winchelsea and Aylesford.
SIZE: 37.25 x 32.5 x 2.25 inches including frame.
PROVENANCE: By family descent.
Verso, on the frame and canvas two wax seals bearing coat of arms, and a printed coat of arms of Richard Almack. Also a handwritten copperplate inscription giving the name of the sitter and other information.
A great deal of old handwritten information about the Finch family tree accompanies the portrait.
ROBERT BYNG (1666 - 1720) was born in Wiltshire, but is buried in Oxford where he died in 1720, having lived there since before 1714.
He was a pupil of, and very strongly influenced by, Sir Godfrey Kneller (Principal Painter to the King and the most distinguished Baroque portraitist in England).
Byng's earliest dated portraits are c.1697; one of his younger brothers, Edward, was drapery painter to Kneller and his principal assistant.
£9,650
Portrait of Elizabeth, Countess of Carnarvon c.1650; ...
Item Number
8978
Oil on canvas in old reproduction frame of the correct period type.
The Countess is depicted in the mythical realm of Arcady, a fshionable conceit of the time.
At the centre of Arcady is the Garden of Love where a figure of Cupid sits atop a fountain.
Elizabeth places her hand in the water...this is a motif much used by Van Dyck and Lely and it makes an allusion to her potential as a wife and mother, recalling Proverbs, chapter 5, verse 18 "Let thy fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of thy youth".
The lamb represents innocence, gentleness, patience and humility....and is,of course, an emblem of Chtistianity.
There is little doubt that this portrait represents a celebration of Elizabeth's forthcoming marriage.
ELIZABETH CAPEL (1633-1678) was baptised on 4 June 1633 at Hadham Parva, Hertfordshire, England. She was the daughter of Arthur Capel, 1st Baron Capel of Hadham, and Elizabeth Morrison.
She married Charles Dormer, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon, son of Robert Dormer, 1st Earl of Carnarvon and Lady Anna Sophia Herbert, before 1653.
Her father was executed by Parliament for Royalist activities during the Civil War in 1649.
The Carnarvons and the Capels were great patrons of Sir Peter Lely and the miniaturist Richard Gibson both of whom painted numerous portraits of Elizabeth and her family in the 1650s.
Tha Capel family were great flower lovers; Elizabeth, Lady Carnarvon was a talented flower painter, her brother did much to develop the gardens at Kew, and her sister, the Duchess of Beaufort, developed the gardens at Badminton and Beaufort House.
The marriage produced a daughter, Lady Elizabeth Dormer, born in 1653 and died aged 24 the year before her mother, who was herself only 45.
The Countess was buried on 6 August 1678 at Wing, Buckinghamshire, England.
DAVID DES GRANGES (1611-c.1671-2)was a miniaturist but also painted on the scale of life. He married a member of the Hoskins family of artists.
He was employed by both Charles I and II. In 1658 he was described as a portraitist on the scale of life (Sanderson, Graphice, 1658).
Signed and dated portraits of 1632 and 1662 (Sir Robert Chester)are known.
The large painting of the Saltonstall family in the Tate Gallery is traditionally attributed to him.
SIZE:58 x 47.5 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:
*Alexander Edward Murray VC, DSO, MVO, DL (1872-1962), , 8th Earl of Dunmore.
*Christie's, London, 4 March 1932 as 'Lely' (5 gns. to F. Howard).
*Collection of J.W. Delditt.
*Sold by Woods Interior Design, Harrogate, Yorkshire.
*Burrow Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria.
*With Roy Precious Fine Art.
*Collection of a Fellow of a Cambridge College.
VERSO: Old red wax coat of arms collection seal.
Hand written inscription in Polish (?)
Old London framers label.
Old hand written label:"the property of J W Delditt, Great Tower St."
The Countess is depicted in the mythical realm of Arcady, a fshionable conceit of the time.
At the centre of Arcady is the Garden of Love where a figure of Cupid sits atop a fountain.
Elizabeth places her hand in the water...this is a motif much used by Van Dyck and Lely and it makes an allusion to her potential as a wife and mother, recalling Proverbs, chapter 5, verse 18 "Let thy fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of thy youth".
The lamb represents innocence, gentleness, patience and humility....and is,of course, an emblem of Chtistianity.
There is little doubt that this portrait represents a celebration of Elizabeth's forthcoming marriage.
ELIZABETH CAPEL (1633-1678) was baptised on 4 June 1633 at Hadham Parva, Hertfordshire, England. She was the daughter of Arthur Capel, 1st Baron Capel of Hadham, and Elizabeth Morrison.
She married Charles Dormer, 2nd Earl of Carnarvon, son of Robert Dormer, 1st Earl of Carnarvon and Lady Anna Sophia Herbert, before 1653.
Her father was executed by Parliament for Royalist activities during the Civil War in 1649.
The Carnarvons and the Capels were great patrons of Sir Peter Lely and the miniaturist Richard Gibson both of whom painted numerous portraits of Elizabeth and her family in the 1650s.
Tha Capel family were great flower lovers; Elizabeth, Lady Carnarvon was a talented flower painter, her brother did much to develop the gardens at Kew, and her sister, the Duchess of Beaufort, developed the gardens at Badminton and Beaufort House.
The marriage produced a daughter, Lady Elizabeth Dormer, born in 1653 and died aged 24 the year before her mother, who was herself only 45.
The Countess was buried on 6 August 1678 at Wing, Buckinghamshire, England.
DAVID DES GRANGES (1611-c.1671-2)was a miniaturist but also painted on the scale of life. He married a member of the Hoskins family of artists.
He was employed by both Charles I and II. In 1658 he was described as a portraitist on the scale of life (Sanderson, Graphice, 1658).
Signed and dated portraits of 1632 and 1662 (Sir Robert Chester)are known.
The large painting of the Saltonstall family in the Tate Gallery is traditionally attributed to him.
SIZE:58 x 47.5 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE:
*Alexander Edward Murray VC, DSO, MVO, DL (1872-1962), , 8th Earl of Dunmore.
*Christie's, London, 4 March 1932 as 'Lely' (5 gns. to F. Howard).
*Collection of J.W. Delditt.
*Sold by Woods Interior Design, Harrogate, Yorkshire.
*Burrow Hall, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria.
*With Roy Precious Fine Art.
*Collection of a Fellow of a Cambridge College.
VERSO: Old red wax coat of arms collection seal.
Hand written inscription in Polish (?)
Old London framers label.
Old hand written label:"the property of J W Delditt, Great Tower St."
£8,950
Portrait of Prince Rupert 17th century; Attributed ...
Item Number
8936
Oil on panel in a good 18th century carved and giltwood frame.It shows Rupert at about the age of 14 when he first became a soldier. After a pattern favoured by van Honthorst who painted Rupert, at different ages, several times.
An early owner's seal to the verso.
This type and size of portrait were, by the reign of George III attributed to Theodore Russell (1624-88), nephew of Cornelius Johnson, but on stylistic grounds and format they are now attributed to Remigius van Leemput, believed to have been at one time an assistant in Van Dyck's studio.
Difficult to date precisely, most of these reduced copies were produced around the middle of the 17th century, particularly during the time of the English Civil War and the King's execution in 1649. They were much in demand as 'cabinet' pictures, adorning the private walls of Royalist supporters.
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Cumberland, Earl of Holderness, commonly called PRINCE RUPERT OF THE RHINE, KG, PC, FRS ( 1619 – 1682), was a noted German soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century. Rupert was a younger son of the German prince Frederick V, Elector Palatine and his wife Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of James I of England. Thus Rupert was the nephew of King Charles I of England, who made him Duke of Cumberland and Earl of Holderness, and the first cousin of King Charles II of England. His sister Electress Sophia was the mother of George I of Great Britain.
Prince Rupert had a varied career. He was a soldier from a young age, fighting against Spain in the Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648), and against the Holy Roman Emperor in Germany during the Thirty Years' War (1618–48). Aged 23, he was appointed commander of the Royalist cavalry during the English Civil War (1642–46), becoming the archetypal Cavalier of the war and ultimately the senior Royalist general. He surrendered after the fall of Bristol and was banished from England. He served under Louis XIV of France against Spain, and then as a Royalist privateer in the Caribbean. Following the Restoration, Rupert returned to England, becoming a senior British naval commander during the Second and Third Anglo-Dutch wars, engaging in scientific invention, art, and serving as the first Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. Rupert died in England in 1682, aged 62.
Rupert is considered to have been a quick-thinking and energetic cavalry general, but ultimately undermined by his youthful impatience in dealing with his peers during the Civil War. In the Interregnum, Rupert continued the conflict against Parliament by sea from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, showing considerable persistence in the face of adversity. As the head of the Royal Navy in his later years, he showed greater maturity and made impressive and long-lasting contributions to the Royal Navy's doctrine and development. As a colonial governor, Rupert shaped the political geography of modern Canada—Rupert's Land was named in his honour. Rupert's varied and numerous scientific and administrative interests combined with his considerable artistic skills made him one of the more colourful individuals of the Restoration period.
REMIGIUS VAN LEEMPUT,(1609?–1675), painter, born at Antwerp about 1609, came to England in Charles I's reign, and among other works for that king he made a small copy in oils of the famous painting by Holbein at Whitehall of Henry VII, Henry VIII, and their queens, which was afterwards destroyed by fire.
SIZE: 20.25 x17.50 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Sussex Private Collection.
An early owner's seal to the verso.
This type and size of portrait were, by the reign of George III attributed to Theodore Russell (1624-88), nephew of Cornelius Johnson, but on stylistic grounds and format they are now attributed to Remigius van Leemput, believed to have been at one time an assistant in Van Dyck's studio.
Difficult to date precisely, most of these reduced copies were produced around the middle of the 17th century, particularly during the time of the English Civil War and the King's execution in 1649. They were much in demand as 'cabinet' pictures, adorning the private walls of Royalist supporters.
Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Cumberland, Earl of Holderness, commonly called PRINCE RUPERT OF THE RHINE, KG, PC, FRS ( 1619 – 1682), was a noted German soldier, admiral, scientist, sportsman, colonial governor and amateur artist during the 17th century. Rupert was a younger son of the German prince Frederick V, Elector Palatine and his wife Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of James I of England. Thus Rupert was the nephew of King Charles I of England, who made him Duke of Cumberland and Earl of Holderness, and the first cousin of King Charles II of England. His sister Electress Sophia was the mother of George I of Great Britain.
Prince Rupert had a varied career. He was a soldier from a young age, fighting against Spain in the Netherlands during the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648), and against the Holy Roman Emperor in Germany during the Thirty Years' War (1618–48). Aged 23, he was appointed commander of the Royalist cavalry during the English Civil War (1642–46), becoming the archetypal Cavalier of the war and ultimately the senior Royalist general. He surrendered after the fall of Bristol and was banished from England. He served under Louis XIV of France against Spain, and then as a Royalist privateer in the Caribbean. Following the Restoration, Rupert returned to England, becoming a senior British naval commander during the Second and Third Anglo-Dutch wars, engaging in scientific invention, art, and serving as the first Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company. Rupert died in England in 1682, aged 62.
Rupert is considered to have been a quick-thinking and energetic cavalry general, but ultimately undermined by his youthful impatience in dealing with his peers during the Civil War. In the Interregnum, Rupert continued the conflict against Parliament by sea from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, showing considerable persistence in the face of adversity. As the head of the Royal Navy in his later years, he showed greater maturity and made impressive and long-lasting contributions to the Royal Navy's doctrine and development. As a colonial governor, Rupert shaped the political geography of modern Canada—Rupert's Land was named in his honour. Rupert's varied and numerous scientific and administrative interests combined with his considerable artistic skills made him one of the more colourful individuals of the Restoration period.
REMIGIUS VAN LEEMPUT,(1609?–1675), painter, born at Antwerp about 1609, came to England in Charles I's reign, and among other works for that king he made a small copy in oils of the famous painting by Holbein at Whitehall of Henry VII, Henry VIII, and their queens, which was afterwards destroyed by fire.
SIZE: 20.25 x17.50 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Sussex Private Collection.
£8,950
Portrait of a Young Lady c.1770; Attributed ...
Item Number
8568
69A beautiful portrait of an attractive young woman, painted in the Neoclassical fashion of the second half of the eighteenth century, much favoured by Kauffman.
ANGELICA KAUFFMAN R.A. (1741—1807), in full Maria Anna Catharina Angelica Kauffman, Kauffman also spelled Kauffmann or Kaufmann, was a painter in the early Neoclassical style.
The daughter of Johann Joseph Kauffmann, a painter, Angelica was a precocious child and a talented musician and painter by her 12th year. Her early paintings were influenced by the French Rococo works of Henri Gravelot and François Boucher. In 1754 and 1763 she visited Italy, and while in Rome she was influenced by the Neoclassicism of Anton Raphael Mengs.
She was persuaded by Lady Wentworth, wife of the English ambassador, to accompany her to London in 1766. She was well received and was particularly favoured by the royal family. Sir Joshua Reynolds became a close friend, and most of the numerous portraits and self-portraits done in her English period were influenced by his style of portrait painting.
Her name is found among the signatories to the petition for the establishment of the Royal Academy, and in its first catalogue of 1769 she is listed as a member. She was one of only two women founding members.
During the 1770s Kauffmann was one of a team of artists who supplied the painted decorations for Adam-designed interiors (e.g., the house at 20 Portman Square, London, which was home to the Courtauld Institute Galleries for more than 60 years). Kauffmann retired to Rome in the early 1780s with her second husband, the Venetian painter Antonio Zucchi.
Kauffmann’s pastoral and mythological compositions portray gods and goddesses. Her paintings are Rococo in tone and approach, though her figures are given Neoclassical poses and draperies. Kauffmann’s portraits of female sitters are among her finest works.
SIZE: 27 x 23 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Anon. sale at Christie's 21 March 1975, lot 113 as by Angelica Kauffman.
Private Collection, Berkshire.
VERSO: old Christie's stencils, catalogue entry from 1975 sale.
ANGELICA KAUFFMAN R.A. (1741—1807), in full Maria Anna Catharina Angelica Kauffman, Kauffman also spelled Kauffmann or Kaufmann, was a painter in the early Neoclassical style.
The daughter of Johann Joseph Kauffmann, a painter, Angelica was a precocious child and a talented musician and painter by her 12th year. Her early paintings were influenced by the French Rococo works of Henri Gravelot and François Boucher. In 1754 and 1763 she visited Italy, and while in Rome she was influenced by the Neoclassicism of Anton Raphael Mengs.
She was persuaded by Lady Wentworth, wife of the English ambassador, to accompany her to London in 1766. She was well received and was particularly favoured by the royal family. Sir Joshua Reynolds became a close friend, and most of the numerous portraits and self-portraits done in her English period were influenced by his style of portrait painting.
Her name is found among the signatories to the petition for the establishment of the Royal Academy, and in its first catalogue of 1769 she is listed as a member. She was one of only two women founding members.
During the 1770s Kauffmann was one of a team of artists who supplied the painted decorations for Adam-designed interiors (e.g., the house at 20 Portman Square, London, which was home to the Courtauld Institute Galleries for more than 60 years). Kauffmann retired to Rome in the early 1780s with her second husband, the Venetian painter Antonio Zucchi.
Kauffmann’s pastoral and mythological compositions portray gods and goddesses. Her paintings are Rococo in tone and approach, though her figures are given Neoclassical poses and draperies. Kauffmann’s portraits of female sitters are among her finest works.
SIZE: 27 x 23 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Anon. sale at Christie's 21 March 1975, lot 113 as by Angelica Kauffman.
Private Collection, Berkshire.
VERSO: old Christie's stencils, catalogue entry from 1975 sale.
£8,950
Portrait of William, 9th Earl of Derby(?) ...
Item Number
8572
Oil on canvas in period carved giltwwod frame.
The sitter, thought to be the Earl of Derby, is painted in a typical Lely pose; Lely painted the notorious John Wilmot, Earl oF Rochester in this very attitude.
It is likely that this portrait was commissioned in 1672 to mark William's succession to the earldom, or his marriage to Lady Elizabeth Butler the following year.
The breastplate does not signify any martial activity by the sitter, it was there to symbolise aristocratic power and wealth. The sitter wears a fashionable and costly wig and an even more expensive cravat of Venetian 'gros-point' lace. In 1685 Charles II ordered three cravats of such lace at a total cost of £94....equivalent to over £16000 today!
WILLIAM RICHARD GEORGE STANLEY, 9th Earl of Derby (1654 – 5 November 1702), styled Lord Strange from 1655 to 1672, was an English peer.
William was the eldest son of Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby, and Dorotha Helena Kirkhoven. He succeeded his father in the earldom in 1672 at the age of 18.
He was commissioned to the lieutenancies of Lancashire, Cheshire, and five Welsh counties, but although possessing good education and an intelligent mind, he declined to take part in the great affairs of State, and lived the life of a quiet country gentleman.
Lord Derby married Lady Elizabeth Butler, daughter of Thomas Butler, Earl of Ossory, in 1673. His only son James Stanley, Lord Strange, predeceased him.
JOSEPH BUCKSHORN (Bokshoorn, Boxhorn), c.1645 - c.1680, was a portraitist who was said to have been born in The Hague and came to England c.1670. He acted as a drapery painter for Lely. (Sir Peter Lely was the dominant Court painter of this period and maintained a large studio with talented assistants to supply the demand for his portraits).
Buckshorn's only known portraits are Lely patterns, and his style is very much that of his master.
SIZE: 53 x 44 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Private collection, English/Welsh Borders.
The sitter, thought to be the Earl of Derby, is painted in a typical Lely pose; Lely painted the notorious John Wilmot, Earl oF Rochester in this very attitude.
It is likely that this portrait was commissioned in 1672 to mark William's succession to the earldom, or his marriage to Lady Elizabeth Butler the following year.
The breastplate does not signify any martial activity by the sitter, it was there to symbolise aristocratic power and wealth. The sitter wears a fashionable and costly wig and an even more expensive cravat of Venetian 'gros-point' lace. In 1685 Charles II ordered three cravats of such lace at a total cost of £94....equivalent to over £16000 today!
WILLIAM RICHARD GEORGE STANLEY, 9th Earl of Derby (1654 – 5 November 1702), styled Lord Strange from 1655 to 1672, was an English peer.
William was the eldest son of Charles Stanley, 8th Earl of Derby, and Dorotha Helena Kirkhoven. He succeeded his father in the earldom in 1672 at the age of 18.
He was commissioned to the lieutenancies of Lancashire, Cheshire, and five Welsh counties, but although possessing good education and an intelligent mind, he declined to take part in the great affairs of State, and lived the life of a quiet country gentleman.
Lord Derby married Lady Elizabeth Butler, daughter of Thomas Butler, Earl of Ossory, in 1673. His only son James Stanley, Lord Strange, predeceased him.
JOSEPH BUCKSHORN (Bokshoorn, Boxhorn), c.1645 - c.1680, was a portraitist who was said to have been born in The Hague and came to England c.1670. He acted as a drapery painter for Lely. (Sir Peter Lely was the dominant Court painter of this period and maintained a large studio with talented assistants to supply the demand for his portraits).
Buckshorn's only known portraits are Lely patterns, and his style is very much that of his master.
SIZE: 53 x 44 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Private collection, English/Welsh Borders.
£8,650
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