Old Masters More Art
OLD MASTERS
Encompassing centuries of change in Europe between 1300 and 1800, from booms of prosperity to bloody revolutions, Old Masters describes a wide range of artists. The informal term was derived from the title of an artist who trained in a guild long enough to become a master, such as Leonardo da Vinci, who studied in a Florence painters’ guild. However, Old Masters paintings, prints and other art is now used to refer to work made by any artist with a high level of skill in painting, drawing, sculpture or printmaking who worked during this era.
The 15th century’s expansive trade and commerce spread culture across borders. A vibrant period of art emerged, bolstered by studies of anatomy and nature that influenced a new visual realism. From Raphael and Michelangelo in the Renaissance to Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer in the Dutch Golden Age, artists expressed emotion, naturalism, color and light in new ways. El Greco and Paolo Veronese were leaders in the dramatic style of Mannerism, while Caravaggio and Peter Paul Rubens demonstrated the movement and meticulous detail of Baroque art.
Historically, most attention was concentrated on male artists, but recent research and exhibitions have elevated the impactful work of women such as Rachel Ruysch and Artemisia Gentileschi. In late-18th-century France, female artists like Adélaïde Labille-Guiard and Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun were prominent names. Nevertheless, access to the academies and guilds was highly restricted for women, and even those able to establish practices were expected to adhere to portraits and still lifes rather than the grand history paintings being created by men.
Find a collection of Old Masters prints, paintings, drawings and watercolors and other art on 1stDibs.
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Style: Old Masters
Portrait of William of Orange, later William III, in Armour, Peter Lely Painting
Located in London, GB
This exquisite portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, depicts King William III, when he was Prince of Orange. The military-minded William III is portrayed as the archetypal commande...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of Lady Catherine Edwin (Montagu) in a Woodland c.1697; Fine Provenance
By Michael Dahl
Located in London, GB
This exquisite portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, is by Michael Dahl; it was part of the extensive collection owned by Thomas Wyndham of Clearwell Court in Gloucestershire. It ma...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of Catherine Murray, Countess of Dysart, Roses, Gilded Frame, Van Dyke
Located in London, GB
This exquisite Grand Manner work, presented by Titan Fine Art, is an evocative example of the type of portrait in vogue during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Beautifully ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of a Gentleman, David Erskine, 13th Laird of Dun, Wearing Armour c.1700
Located in London, GB
The gentleman in this exquisite oil on canvas portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, is shown with the grandiloquence characteristic of the English School of painting. He is portray...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Portrait of Gentleman Blue & Cloak, Portrait of Lady, Fine Carved Gilded frames
Located in London, GB
Portrait of a Gentleman with Blue Cloak and Portrait of a Lady in Russet Dress c.1697
Thomas Murray (1663-1735)
These fascinating portraits are exquisite examples of portraiture in ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Oil Portrait of a Victorian Lady, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
Painted in the 19th century, this exquisite miniature portrait wonderfully exemplifies realism in traditional oil painting. The small artwork is painted in the conventional portraiture style of the Old Masters, and achieves soft realism with fine brushwork and a subdued, neutral palette. The half length portrait depicts a fine Victorian woman dressed in all black with a delicate lace collar and bonnet. She wears a ruby broach...
Category
Mid-19th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil
Portrait of a Lady by a Woodland Stream Holding a Shell c.1690; Oil on canvas
By Harman Verelst
Located in London, GB
This elegant portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, depicts a beautiful young lady seated in a wooded area, resting one arm on a rock, before a landscape and a warm evening sky. She is wearing a white smock under russet-coloured silks, loosely held in place by an immense black diamond clasp on the sleeve, and her body is enveloped in a voluptuous swag of azure silk; the costly fabrics and jewels reveal that the sitter was a paragon of a wealthy and privileged society that she belonged to.
Much of the attractiveness of this portrait resides in its graceful composition and the beauty of the youthful sitter. The flowing water in the left margin of the picture and the shell that she holds are compositional devises often used at the time to allude to her potential as wife and mother, recalling Proverbs, Chapter 5, Verse 18: “Let thye fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of thye youth”. Symbolism was a key component to many works of this period and contemporary viewers would have deciphered them immediately. Such images exude a sense of status and Augustan decorum, and were highly influential in transmitting these values into the first half of the eighteenth century. Held in a good quality and condition gilded antique frame.
Herman Verelst was from a great dynasty of painters, with many members achieving great success. Specialising in portraits and still life paintings, he was one of the legions of foreign-born artists working in England at the time. Today, many of his pictures are given to other artists or are simply relegated to that term “circle of” which is a great disservice because he had an ability to render faces and drapery on par with some of the best artists at the time. Herman’s work is quite distinctive in the way he rendered faces and this particular pose was a favourite. His faces were portrayed with great skill often using the sfumato technique which gave them a very smooth feel to the skin with no hard lines, and many known works by him show that he could also render drapery with great affect. Our painting was painted in the 1690’s.
His father, Pieter Hermansz Verelst...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of Gentleman in Armour by Table & Helmut c.1685 Aristocratic Provenance
By Johann Kerseboom
Located in London, GB
Portrait of a Gentleman in Armour beside a Table with Helmut c.1685
Follower or circle of Johann Kerseboom (d.1708)
This exquisite Grand Manner work, presented by Titan Fine Art, wa...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of a Gentleman, Doublet & White Ruff, Gloves Inscribed 1624, on panel
By Frans Pourbus the Younger
Located in London, GB
Titan Fine Art presents this exquisite oil on panel portrait depicting a handsome young gentleman in an exuberant black damask doublet. The pose, with one hand holding gloves and the other akimbo, was one that was well-established for gentleman of the upper echelons of society by the time this work was painted. The principle governing portraits at this time was the recording and defining in visual terms of the position of a sitter in society. In addition to brilliant and complex symbols of luxury, they often contained many symbolic elements too; the inclusion of gloves was often used in portraits that celebrated a betrothal as in ancient times gloves were used to seal a marriage contract.
The extraordinary costume of a black shimmering doublet, the brilliant white reticella ruff, and the cuffs edged with lace were immensely costly… this attire proclaims to every onlooker that this is a superior being. The rendering of the reticella lace ruff is exquisite and the artist has recorded the design that runs through the black damask fabric with meticulous attention to detail. The preservation of this black pigment is remarkable considering the age of the work. Black pigments are especially vulnerable to fade and wear over time partly due to environmental condition but also from unprofessional cleaning. This work is an exquisite example from the period.
According to the inscription in the upper right, the gentleman was in his 22nd year of age in 1624. The coat of arms, which is displayed without a crest, may be ‘blazoned’ in the language of heraldry, as: Sable on a Chevron between in chief two Roundels and in base a Billet [or possibly Square] Or three Martlets Sable. In plainer English this means a black (Sable) background, spanned by a gold (Or) chevron, above which are two golden solid circles (Roundels), and below which is a gold rectangle (Billet); on the chevron are three small black birds (Martlets). Martlets are a stylised form of heraldic bird, believed to be based on the swift, which are conventionally drawn with small tufts instead of feet. In Continental Europe it is also conventional for them to be drawn without beaks, as appears to be the case here. The birds in this instance also have a vaguely duck-like appearance.
Five families have been identified with very close armorial bearings to the one in our portrait. They are the (van) Houthem’s (of Brabant), the Prévinaire’s (of Flanders and Holland), and the Proveneer’s (of Liège) and it must be noted that the locations of these families also fit with the painting’s Flemish origins. However the French Grenières’s (of Île-de-France) and the Jallot’s (of Normandy) are the next closest matches and plausible matches, as Frans Pourbus had settled in Paris just a few years before our portrait was painted.
This painting has been assessed by a professional conservator prior to going on sale, and as thus, it can be hung and enjoyed immediately.
Frans Pourbus the Younger...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Portrait of a Lady in an Elaborate Ruff & Lace Coif c.1610-20, Dutch Old Master
Located in London, GB
This magnificent oil on panel portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, is a splendid example of the sumptuous female portraits that were painted for members of the upper echelons of society during the early part of the 1600’s. The artist has rendered this portrait with meticulous attention to detail and the surface effects of the fine materials. The elaborate lace coif and cuffs are painstakingly delineated, as is the bold black damask, and sumptuous gold decoration of her skirt and stomacher, which is wonderfully preserved and quite remarkable considering the age of the work and the fact that darker pigments are particularly vulnerable to fading and wear. This work with its spectacular depiction of costume is of absolute quality, it can be rated as one of the best works in the artist’s oeuvre and as such it is an important and splendid example of Dutch portraiture.
The Dutch Golden Age of painting was a period in Dutch history, roughly spanning the 17th century, in which Dutch trade, science, military, and art were among the most acclaimed in the world. Dutch explorers charted new territory and settled abroad. Trade by the Dutch East-India Company thrived, and war heroes from the naval battles were decorated and became national heroes. During this time, The Dutch Old Masters began to prevail in the art world, creating a depth of realistic portraits of people and life in the area that has hardly been surpassed. The Golden Age painters depicted the scenes that their discerning new middleclass patrons wanted to see. This new wealth from merchant activities and exploration combined with a lack of church patronage, shifted art subjects away from biblical genres.
Dress was a key component in portraits, and the exuberant attire reiterates the incredible wealth of this woman. The sitter will have visited the artist’s workshop and inspected examples on display. They would have chosen the size and the sort of composition and on that basis negotiated the price – which would have also been determined by the complexity of the clothing and the jewels that were to be depicted, and by the materials to be used. When all was considered, this portrait would have cost the sitter (or her husband) a substantial sum.
The colour black was regarded as humble and devout yet at the same time refined and sophisticated and the most expensive colour of fabric to dye and to maintain. Citizens spent fortunes on beautiful black robes. Such uniformity must also have had a psychological side-effect and contributed to a sense of middle-class cohesion; the collective black of the well-to-do burgess class will have given its members a sense of solidarity. The colour was always an exciting one for artists and when this portrait was painted there were at least fifty shades of it, and as many different fabrics and accoutrements. Artists went to great lengths to depict the subtle nuances of the colour and the fabrics and textures and how they reflected light and it was an ideal background against which gold and crisp white lace could be juxtaposed to dramatic effect.
The sitter is either a married women or a widower as is evident by the clothing that she wears and the position, toward her right, it is highly likely that this portrait was once a pendant that hung on the right-hand side of her husband’s portrait as was convention at the time. She wears a vlieger which was a type of sleeveless over-gown or cape worn by well-to-do married women in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Variations with short sleeves or high shoulder rolls are known. Sometimes sleeves were attached with aiglets, and often slits were made to allow belts or the hands to pass through. Three-piece vlieger costumes of this kind were standard items of clothing in portraits of the women of the civic elite in the period 1600-40 and was a variant of the Spanish ‘ropa’ and served as a trademark of well-to-do married burgher women. Girls and unmarried woman, including beguines, wore a bouwen (a dress with a fitted bodice and a skirt that was closed all round) instead. This clear distinction between apparel for married and unmarried women is clear not only from inventories and trousseau lists, but also from contemporary sources such as the Dutch Spanish dictionary published by Juan Rodrigues in 1634. In it, a bouwen is described as a ‘ropa de donzella’ (over-gown worn by a virgin) and a vlieger as a ‘ropa de casada’ (overgown worn by a married woman). It is striking how few women are depicted wearing a bouwen, unless they are part of a group, family or children’s portrait and it can therefore be assumed that independent portraits of unmarried women were seldom commissioned. It is also believed that the clothing worn in these portraits existed and were faithfully reproduced when cross-referenced with the few exact documents. These sources also demonstrate that clients wanted their clothing to be depicted accurately and with this in mind precious garments and jewels were often left in the painter’s studio.
The prominent white lawn molensteenkraag (or millstone ruff) is held up by a wire supportasse and was reserved only for the citizens that could afford this luxurious item that often required 15 meters of linen batiste. The fabulous wealth of this sitter is also evident by the elaborate lace coif and cuffs which have been exquisitely depicted; lace was often literally copied by artists in thin white lines over the completed clothing.
The gold bracelet with jewels is a type that was evidently fashionable as it is seen in a number of portraits during the 1610s and 1620. Clothing and jewellery were prized possessions and were often listed in inventories of estates and passed down from generation to generation. There were a great number of jewellers of Flemish origin working at all the courts and cities of Europe, competing with the Italians, and then the French, adapting themselves to the tastes and positions of their patrons and the raw materials available in the country where they worked. The fashion for jewels “in the Flemish style” succeeded that of the Italian style.
Cornelis van der Voort, who was probably born in Antwerp around 1576, came to Amsterdam with his parents as a child. His father, a cloth weaver by trade, received his citizenship in 1592. It is not known who taught the young Van der Voort to paint, but it has been suggested that it was either Aert Pietersz or Cornelis Ketel. On 24 October 1598 Van der Voort became betrothed to Truytgen Willemsdr. After his first wife’s death he became betrothed to Cornelia Brouwer of Dordrecht in 1613. In addition to being an artist, Van der Voort was an art collector or dealer, or both. In 1607 he bought paintings from the estate of Gillis van Coninxloo, and after an earlier sale in 1610 a large number of works he owned were auctioned on 7 April 1614. Van der Voort is documented as appraising paintings in 1612, 1620 and 1624. In 1615 and 1619 he was warden of the Guild of St Luke. He was buried in Amsterdam’s Zuiderkerk on 2 November 1624, and on 13 May 1625 paintings in his estate were sold at auction.
Van der Voort was one of Amsterdam’s leading portrait painters in the first quarter of the 17th century. Several of his group portraits are known. It is believed that he trained Thomas de Keyser (1596/97-1667) and Nicolaes Eliasz Pickenoy (1588-1650/56). His documented pupils were David Bailly (c. 1584/86-1657), Louis du Pré...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
Portrait of a Gentleman in Scarlet Robe Holding Flowers c.1675, Oil on canvas
Located in London, GB
Titan Fine Art present this striking portrait, which was painted by one of the most talented artists working in England during the last half of the 17th century, John Greenhill. Gre...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of a Lady in Red Dress on Porch c.1680, English Aristocratic Provenance
Located in London, GB
Presented by Titan Fine Art, this painting formed part of a historic collection of an English aristocratic family, Lord and Lady Sandys at their magnificent baroque and Regency Grade-I listed family home, Ombersley Court. The house was among the most fascinating survivals of its kind in this country. The atmospheric interiors were distinguished above all for the works of art associated with two key moments in national history. The collection was acquired or commissioned over five centuries and remained at Ombersley Court until its recent sale, the first in 294 years. This portrait hung in the Grand Hall.
This exquisite grand manner work is an evocative example of the type of portrait in vogue during a large part of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The artist has depicted an elegant lady, three quarter length and seated on porch with a luxurious crimson swag curtain by her side. The clothing – known as “undress” at the time, consists of red silk fastened at the front and sleeves by large gold and diamond jewels over a simple white chemise. In her lap she holds a blue wrap and in her other hand, at her chest, she clutches the end of a sheer gauzy scarf that has been draped around her body with the other end a type of headdress – this type of sheer scarf was often employed by Wissing in his portraits. The classical architecture signifies cultivation and sophistication and the luxurious swag curtain is a signifier of wealth. The portrait can be dated to circa 1680 based on the sitter’s attire, the “hurluberlu” hairstyle, and other portraits by Wissing using the same formula.
This oil on canvas portrait has been well cared for over its life, which spans almost 350 years. Having recently been treated to remove an obscuring discoloured varnish, the finer details and proper colour can now be fully appreciated.
Once owned by Evesham Abbey, the manor of Ombersley was acquired by the Sandys family in the early 1600s, when Sir Samuel Sandys, the eldest son of Edwin Sandys, Bishop of Worcester and later Archbishop of York, took a lease on the manor, before receiving an outright grant in 1614. The present house, Ombersley Court, dates from the time of Samuel, 1st Lord Sandys, between 1723 and 1730. The house itself is a fine example of an English Georgian country house set in rolling countryside and surrounded by Wellingtonias, planted to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo by Arthur Hill, 2nd Baron Sandys, who played a distinguished part in the battle and was one of the Duke of Wellington’s aides de camp. The Duke also stayed in the house and in the Great Hall, was the Waterloo banner which was brought to the house by Sir Arthur Hill, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, who succeeded his mother, the Marchioness of Downshire as 2nd Lord Sandys. Further Waterloo memorabilia are kettle drums from battle. The family had a strong tradition of military and political service, dating back to the 17th century, and this was also reflected in the fine collection of portraits and paintings in the house. In short, Ombersley represented a vital aspect of British history. The house and more especially the collection were of the greatest historical importance. Houses that have remained in the possession of the same family for as many as three centuries have become increasingly rare.
Through this portrait, collectors have a chance to acquire a piece of British history and an evocative vestige of a glittering way of life, which is now gone.
Much of the attractiveness of this portrait resides in its graceful manner and the utter beauty of the youthful sitter. Presented in a beautiful carved and gilded period frame, which is a work of art in itself.
Willem Wissing was a Dutch artist who enjoyed a solid artistic training at The Hague under Arnold van Ravesteyn (c.1650-1690) and Willem Dougijns (1630-1697). He came to London in 1676 and most probably joined the studio or Sir Peter Lely as an assistant that same year. After Lely’s death in 1680 he effectively took over his business and he scaled the heights of patronage with extraordinary ease, creating an independent practise in 1687, and painted for very important aristocratic patrons. King Charles II was so impressed by a portrait Wissing painted of his son, the Duke of Monmouth, in 1683 that he commissioned his own portrait and that of his Queen Catherine...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Dutch Old Master Portrait of Maurits, Prince of Orange-Nassau, Oil on Panel
Located in London, GB
In 1607, the Delft city council decided to commission a portrait of Stadholder Maurits of Nassau for the town hall, with Michiel van Mierevelt as the chosen artist due to the passing...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
The Penance of St. Chrysostom by Albrecht Dürer
Located in New Orleans, LA
Albrecht Dürer
1471-1528 German
The Penance of St. Chrysostom
Monogrammed in the plate lower center "AD"
Copper engraving on laid paper
“Whatever was mortal in Albrecht Dürer li...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Old Masters More Art
Materials
Copper
Portrait of a Lady in Green Dress & Pearl Jewellery c.1660 Painting John Wright
By John Michael Wright
Located in London, GB
In this exquisite work, painted around the time of the Great Fire of London in 1666, a beautiful young woman is wearing a green dress over a white chemise and a russet-coloured scarf...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Portrait of Frances, Viscountess Scudamore in a Silver Dress & Blue Cloak
Located in London, GB
Portrait of Frances, Viscountess Scudamore in a Silver Dress and Blue Cloak c.1709-1719
By Charles Jervas (1675-1739)
This elegant and graceful portrait, presented by Titan Fine Ar...
Category
18th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
"Le Singe" The Monkey Tapestry
Located in Atlanta, GA
Belgian made, Jacquard woven with relief stitch. Fully lined with rod pocket for hanging.
Cotton and rayon.
Measurements are approximate.
Category
Late 20th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Tapestry
De Humana Physiognomonia
Located in Roma, IT
De Humana Physiognomonia - Libri IIII
Original Title: Io: Bap-tistae Portae Neapolitani. De Hum. Physiognomonia. Libri IIII. Ad Aloysium Card. Estensem
Vici Aequensis, Apud Iosephum Cacchium, 1586. Vol. In-4° / cm. 32x22
272 pp (typographic mystake for page 265 indicated as 272 an vice-versa)
Circulation: Rare First Edition
Format: In-4°
Pages: 272
Cover on ancient parchment, with title in ink (ancient calligraphy) on spine and “archivistic” decorations in leather and rope on same spine. Binding restored using original contemporary cover.
Frontispiece fully engraved with portrait of author within an imaginary composition; portrait of Cardinale d’Este, whom the work is dedicated to, follows with full page engraving.
Includes 85 engravings 4 of which full page, showing human physiognomies compared to animals’ in order to demonstrate the relationship between physical aspects and moral features.
Good and clean copy, in a nice state. Black stain on p. 97 and minor tear on p. 198. Some whitening on 3-4 pages which do no affect reading.
Rare first edition of a pillar of modern anthropology, and one of the most popular essays of Italian Renaissance, with important influence during the following 300 years.
First book to be printed in Vico Equense...
Category
16th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Paper, Engraving
Portrait of a Lady in White Chemise, Russet & Blue Drapery c.1695, Oil Painting
By Harman Verelst
Located in London, GB
This lavish portrait, painted circa 1695, is an exquisite example of the type of portrait in vogue during the last quarter of the seventeenth century. It is evident that the artist ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Cuzco School Baptismal Dish
Located in New York, NY
Provenance:
Manuel Ortíz de Zevallos y García, Peru; and by descent in the family to:
Private Collection, New York.
This impressive baptismal dish is an example of eighteenth-cent...
Category
18th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Silver
Portrait of a Gentleman in Grey Coat & White Cravat, Oil on canvas Painting
Located in London, GB
This exquisite work, presented by Titan Fine Art, is by the notable artist Hans Hysing, who was a noteworthy painter in England; it is significant in its q...
Category
18th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
Accurata e succinta descrizione topografia delle Antichità di Roma
Located in Roma, IT
Complete title: Accurata e succinta descrizione topografia delle Antichità di Roma dell'Abate Ridolfino Venuti Cortonese Presidente all'Antichità Romane e Membro Onorario della Regia...
Category
Early 1800s Old Masters More Art
Materials
Paper, Etching
Portrait of Giuseppe Garibaldi - Original Glass Art - 19th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Portrait of Garibaldi is an admirable piece of art painted on small glass, realized by anonymous artists of the 19th Century.
Good condition.
The tiny and small piece of glass art,...
Category
19th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Glass
17th Century Flemish Sculpture of a Religious Figure
Located in Rochester, NY
Antique carving of a saint or martyr. 17th century Flemish hardwood carving. Wonderful wear and rich color.
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Wood
Des Enfants Traînant Un Chariot Chargé de Fruits
Located in Milford, NH
A fine oil painting with cherubs and a cart of fruit by French artist Leger Cherelle (1816-1867). Cherelle was born in Versailles, France, a...
Category
1830s Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Board
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In the portrait of the illustrious general Raimondo Montecuccoli, it can be observed that he still appears without the Order of the Golden Toson. This detail suggests that the portrait could be dated before 1664.
Raimondo Montecuccoli was a famous general and military strategist of the 17th century in the service of the Habsburg Empire. Born in 1609 in Italy, Montecuccoli fought in numerous European wars, distinguishing himself for his tactical and strategic abilities. He is best known for his victories during the Thirty Years' War and the war against the Turks. Montecuccoli is also remembered for his writings on military theory, which influenced subsequent generations of commanders. He died in 1680.
Montecuccoli came from a noble Italian family but chose to pursue a military career in the service of the Habsburg Empire. He studied in Vienna and fought in numerous battles and military campaigns, earning the trust of Emperor Leopold I.
Montecuccoli was known for his discipline, his ability to adapt to situations on the battlefield, and his skill in leading troops with cunning and determination.
Montecuccoli fought in many significant battles during the Thirty Years' War and the wars against the Turks. Some of his most famous battles include the Battle of Lens in 1648, where he achieved a decisive victory against French forces, and the Battle of Vezekény in 1664, where he defeated the Ottoman army. He faced adversaries such as the renowned French general Turenne and the great Turkish commander Kara Mustafa...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
H 29.14 in W 23.23 in
Portrait of Lady Caroline Price
Located in Miami, FL
DESCRIPTION: Perhaps the best Romney in private hands. If Vogue Magazine existed in the late 18th century, this image of Lady Caroline Price would be ...
Category
1970s Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Previously Available Items
Portrait of Lady Legh Seated Holding Flowers c.1693 English Aristocratic History
By Kneller Godfrey
Located in London, GB
This exquisite Grand Manner work, presented by Titan Fine Art, was painted circa 1693 and formed part the Legh family collection at their magnificent home, Adlington Hall. Adlington was built on the site of a Saxon hunting-lodge and became the home of the Legh family during the reign of Edward Il, thus cementing the family's custodianship of Adlington for the next 700 years. Our portrait can be seen hanging in the Drawing Room in a photograph taken by Country Life magazine in 1905 (see photo). Through this portrait, collectors have a chance to acquire an evocative vestige from a glittering aristocratic way of life that is fast disappearing.
It is a good example of portraiture of aristocratic and wealthy women in England during the last quarter of the seventeenth century. Beautifully composed, the sitter is seated in a woodland with a rocky outcrop and a sky just visible through the trees. This arcadian setting draws from the tradition of pastoral literature where life in the country was perceived as peaceful, contemplative, free of worry, and a time to pursue pleasure. By the early seventeenth century, Arcadia was already a popular theme in art and all educated individuals were familiar with Latin and Greek pastoral poetry. As such, the topic was so ingrained in society that, contemporary audiences would have instantly recognised its meaning when viewing this portrait.
The sitter was born Lady Isabella Robartes in 1674. She was the daughter of The Honorable Robert Robartes, Lord Viscount Bodmin (1634-82) who was an English politician and ambassador to Denmark. The Robartes were a Cornish family who resided in Truro for many generations and had acquired great wealth through trading in wool and tin in Tudor times. Robert’s father had suffered considerable losses during the war as his house in Cornwall was occupied by the royalists, his estates were assigned to Sir Richard Grenville, and Robert and his siblings were detained as prisoners with the king. Upon the premature death of Lady Isabella’s father, her mother was later granted the use of the title Countess of Radnor, as she would have been had her husband survived.
On 18 July 1693 Lady Robartes married John Legh of Adlington Hall (1688-1739] who was a colonel of militia, and sheriff of the county in 1705. The couple had three children, Elizabeth (c.1694-burried Westminter Abbey 1734), Lucy Frances Legh (1695-1728), and Charles Legh (1697-1781), Charles succeeded his father in 1739. Charles was a friend of the composer Handel who composed the Musical ‘Blacksmith’ whilst on a visit to Adlington. The sitter died in 1725.
The ancient family of Legh stand high amongst the distinguished lines of Englishmen anciently established in Cheshire which has been called by one old writer “the mother and nurse of gentility”. The Legh family were already an established family in Cheshire having been granted many estates by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest in 1066, from John de Legh and Ellen de Corona stem the numerous branches of the family including the Leghs of Lyme and the Leighs of Stoneleigh - both created prominent houses which still exist today. In 1596 Sir Urian Legh joined the earl of Essex in Elizabeth I’s expedition against the Spaniards and having taken a leading part in the siege of Cadiz, received the honour of knighthood on the field.
Adlington in Cheshire is one of that county’s oldest landholdings. Tradition has it that the roof of the famed Great Hall is supported my two pillars hewn from oak trees which still have their roots planted in the Cheshire soil beneath. Set within its sprawling estate, it has a rich history spanning over 700 years and is a reflection of the changing social, architectural, and political landscapes of England.
Adlington is mentioned in the Domesday survey as Edulvinstane, which was owned before the Conquest by the Saxon Earl Edwin and then by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester and nephew of William the Conqueror. On Lupus’s death, the manor reverted to the Crown and, early in the 13th century, was granted to the Norman family of de Corona. The last member of the family to own it, having no heir, gave the manor to his sister, Ellen, and her husband, John de Legh and has been the seat of the Legh family since 1315.
The great hall rises uninterruptedly from floor to roof, and has a minstrel's and a lady's gallery opening into it. It is 45’ long, 26’ wide, and about 25’ heigh. The open hammer-beamed roof is richly panelled and each panel is adorned with an armorial shield. The heraldic insignia of the seven Norman earls of Chester, and of their eight barons, are displayed in the first three rows.
During the Civil War the Legh’s, like so many of the Cheshire gentry, embraced the side of Charles, and fought his battles zealously. Adlington being garrisoned for the king, the moat was put to its proper defensive use when the estate was besieged by parliamentary forces, but they held out bravely for a fortnight, but eventually forced to surrender. The toll this period took on the collection is still evident in a double portrait of Thomas Legh the Elder and his wife Anne Gobarte which was defaced by sword-slashes made by billeted parliamentarians – and bullet holes in three or four places in the massive oak door to the Hall.
Six miles nearby is the ‘lordly house of Lyme,” which carries back the mind to the days of chivalry, for it was in recognition of services in the wars with France that the domain was bestowed upon Sir Piers Legh, a younger son of the house of Adlington. This branch of the family was seated there for 600 years until 1946.
Inscribed on the canvas verso: “The Rt Hon. Lady Isabella Legh, Sister to Charles Earl of Radnor, Wife of John Legh of Adlington Esq. Sr G. Kneller”.
The elegant modelling of the hands and arms, the slight turn of the head, and the lock of hair trailing down her neck help to imbue the portrait with a sense of elegance and sophistication. This type of portrait was often used by Kneller and his contemporaries as an archetypal example of what wealthy patrons in England wanted - and these portraits lined the walls of many great halls in stately manors throughout the Britain. From a technical point of view, Kneller’s technique of painting on a blue ground and allowing passages of it to be visible in order to suggest darker flesh tones is evident.
Held in its original gilded period frame.
Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) was one of the most prominent portrait painters in England at the end of the seventeenth century. He painted seven British monarchs (Charles II, James II, William III, Mary II, Anne, George I and George II) and in 1715 was the first artist to be made a Baronet (the next was John Everett Millais in 1885).
He was born in Germany but trained in Amsterdam and studied in Italy before moving to England in 1676. Towards the end of the century, after the deaths of Peter Lely and John Riley, Kneller became the leading portrait painter in Britain and the court painter to English and British monarchs from Charles II to George I. He dominated English art for more than thirty years. His over 40 "Kit-cat portraits" and the ten "beauties" of the court of William III are most noteworthy. He ran a large, busy and successful studio in London and employed many assistants thereby establishing a routine that enabled a great number of works to be produced. His name became synonymous with British portraiture at the time and he rose to great notoriety; and there were countless other artists that strove to emulate his style. He died of a fever in London in 1723 and a memorial was erected in Westminster Abbey.
In Kneller’s will he left 500 unfinished pictures to his chief assistant Edward Byng (c.1676-1753) who in Kneller’s words had "for many years faithfully served me". Byng lived with him at a house in Great Queen Street. Kneller gave him a pension of £100 a year, and entrusted him to complete these pictures, for which he was to receive the payments for them. Kneller had been paid only by half for these; whether his clients were not as expeditious to pay as they were to sit or whether Kneller’s death came first, the reason being unknown. Byng also inherited drawings in Kneller's studio, many now in the British Museum. He later lived at Potterne, near Devizes, where he died in 1753 and was buried. His brother Robert was also a painter and many works have been jointly attributed to both brothers. According to Edward’s will his estate was divided after his sister Elizabeth's death between his nephew’s William Wray, Robert Bateman Wray and Charles Wray (not, as some have suggested, to Robert Bateman Wray and his sister Mary).
Provenance:
Probably commissioned by the sitter's husband, John Legh, and thence by decent at Adlington Hall for approximately 330 years
Literature:
'Adlington Hall, Cheshire: The Seat of Mr. A.M.R. Legh', Country Life, 29 July 1905, p. 130, 'The Drawing-Room';
Country Life, Nov 28, Dec 5, and Dec 12, 1952;
G. Nares, 'Adlington Hall, Cheshire - III: The home of Mrs. Legh', Country Life, 12 December 1952, p. 1960, fig. 2 'The mid-Georgian staircase...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
H 55.52 in W 46.86 in D 2.76 in
Panel Portrait of a Lady in Scarlet Dress, Lace Collar, and Pearls c.1620 French
By Claude Deruet
Located in London, GB
Portrait of a Lady with Scarlet Dress, Lace Collar, and Pearl Jewellery c.1620
By Claude Deruet (1588–1660)
Oil on panel
This charming jewel-like portrait, presented by Titan Fine A...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
H 27.56 in W 21.66 in D 2.76 in
Portrait Gentleman, William Clayton, 1st Baron Sundon, Studio of Godfrey Kneller
Located in London, GB
Portrait of a Gentleman, William Clayton, 1st Baron Sundon of Ardagh c.1695-1710
Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723)
This sumptuous portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, was ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
H 37.01 in W 32.68 in D 2.37 in
Portrait of a Gentleman, William Kennaway in a Blue Coat, Signed & Dated 1779
By John Downman
Located in London, GB
This exquisite oil on copper portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, sits within one of the finest examples of the artist’s work. Signed and dated: “J Downman / pinx / 1779” it is a ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Copper
H 14.18 in W 12.6 in D 1.97 in
Portrait of Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia & Electress Palatine, Fine Gilded Frame
Located in London, GB
This exquisite portrait, presented by Titan FIne Art, depicts Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia; she was the only daughter of James VI of Scotland an...
Category
18th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
H 35.83 in W 24.41 in D 2.37 in
Portrait of Margaret Broun, Lady Colstoun, Ancient UK Manor House Provenance
Located in London, GB
This work, presented by Titan Fine Art, formed part of a collection of family pictures and heirlooms of the ancient Broun (Brown) family at Colstoun House, Scotland’s oldest family home. Colstoun was the seat of the family for over 900 years ever since the first stone was laid, shortly after arriving in Britain during the Norman Conquest. The portrait passed through several generations at Colstoun before it was sold, along with other family heirlooms in 1990. Through this portrait, collectors have a chance to acquire a piece of British history and an evocative vestige of a glittering way of life, which has now vanished; the work is a charming example of portraiture from the period.
The sitter was born Margaret Bannatyne, Lady Newhall in 1672. She was the only daughter, and heiress, of James Bannatyne of Newhall (born c.1645). On 10th March 1688 Lady Newhall married Robert Broun, 19th Laird of Colstoun (1667-1703) from the neighbouring estate. The couple had five girls (accounts show that Lady Colstoun took them to be educated in Edinburgh) and two boys. Her husband was the younger son of Sir Patrick Broun, 1st Baronet of Coulston, and by marrying Margaret, an heiress, Laird Robert was able to purchase the ancient Colstoun estates from his brother, Sir George Broun of Colstoun, in 1699 when he was forced to sell them due to gambling debts. This enabled Coulston to be rescued for the family but it meant that the Newhall estates had to be sold.
Lady Colstoun was to suffer again when Robert, aged 36 years old, and their two sons, died when returning from the Scottish parliament on 31st May 1703 when their carriage overturned into a river on the Colstoun estate; Lady Colstoun was in the carriage but miraculously survived. The baronetcy passed from Robert’s older brother, Sir George, to a cousin, but the estates devolved to Margaret and her eldest daughter Jean (1688-1751), who married her cousin Charles Broun of Cleghornie, Laird of Cleghornie (born 1674) in 1705. Christian Broun, heiress to Charles Broun, married The 9th Earl of Dalhousie, who among other appointments was governor of Canada 1819-28. Her son was the 10th Earl and only Marquis, and Governor General of India from 1847-56.
On 18th July 1706 Margaret married the Reverend Matthew Reid, Minister of the Gospel at North Berwick (born 1668) and the couple had three boys and one girl. Reverend Reid died in 1730 and Margaret three years later, presumably at Colstoun, where she was known to have been living.
The most likely date in which the portrait was painted was circa 1699 when the sitter and her husband purchased the Colstoun estate. An inventory of the Colstoun estate at the time shows a marked improvement both in quantity and quality of items at the house, it is clear that money was available and it would have been a fitting time to have a portrait painted. Furthermore the age of the sitter in the portrait, and the style of clothing and hair, correspond with this date.
This ancient Clan Broun (or Brown), had close ties to royalty due to their alleged descent from the royal house of France (the clan chief even bears the three golden lilies of France). In 1073, Walterus Le Brun, a prosperous twelfth century baron, travelled from France to Scotland as the leader of a band of warriors to the aid of King Malcolm of Scotland. From Le Brun came Broun and from Broun came the anglicised version, Brown. Documented as the progenitor of the Brouns of Colstoun, he was witness to an instrument of the Inquisition of the possessions of the Church of Glasgow, made by David I, Prince (Earl) of Cumberland, in 1116, in the reign of his brother, King Alexander I of Scotland.
Still retained in the family to this day are items such as a Royal Charter issued by King David II – which grants David Broun the land at ‘Segaryston’, by Haddington, in 1358, and a Barony gifted by Mary Queen of Scots two centuries later, ancient documents have been preserved in immaculate condition. Still bearing the wax seals denoting their royal authors, one carrying the seal of King James VI in 1625 retains the detail of the seal on both sides. There is even a letter from Oliver Cromwell from 1648. The collection also includes documentation of the Broun family’s time in India, where Christian Broun lived with her husband George Ramsay, the 9th Earl of Dalhousie, while he served as commander-in-chief.
Legend has it that the Colstoun Pear on the estate has a history stretching back to the 13th century when the Brouns were given 'The Pear' by Hugo de Gifford, a wizard by repute. The Brouns have protected this Pear for centuries.
Our painting, along with other ancestral portraits and paintings, Indo-European furniture, and heirlooms, 784 lots in total, were sold by Sotheby’s in a two-day sale on 21 and 22 May 1990 in order to raise funds to demolish the Victorian wing of Colstoun House and restore the rest of the mansion to its original sixteenth/seventeenth century appearance. Drawn from the estate of the late Colin Broun-Lindsay, a descendant of Dalhousie, the ''Furniture, Paintings, Watercolours and Prints, Ceramics and Glass, Indian Arms and Armour and Trophies'' were all dispersed.
The painting was inspected first-hand by Professor J Douglas...
Category
18th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
H 54.34 in W 47.64 in D 2.37 in
Portrait of Abigail, Countess of Kinnoull dated 17**, Godfrey Kneller Painting
By Kneller Godfrey
Located in London, GB
Portrait of a Lady, Abigail Countess of Kinnoull (c.1689-1750) Dated 17**
Studio of Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723)
Presented by Titan Fine Art, this elegant and beautiful portrait ...
Category
18th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Canvas, Oil
H 57.09 in W 47.25 in D 2.37 in
Portrait of a Lady in a Blue & Pink Silk Dress, possibly Mrs Rowe, Signed Dated
By Henry Pickering
Located in London, GB
This charming picture, which has been signed and dated: H. Pickering pinxt 1752 is a type favoured by the highly successful artist Henry Pickering. Pickering’s painting life, from 1...
Category
18th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Canvas
Henry PickeringPortrait of a Lady in a Blue & Pink Silk Dress, possibly Mrs Rowe, Signed Dated, 1752
H 39.38 in W 34.65 in D 2.76 in
Dutch Old Master Portrait of Girl aged 9 in Black Dress & Lace Ruff dated 1619
Located in London, GB
Portrait of a Noble Young Girl, aged 9, in a black dress with lace ruff and cuffs, Dated 1619
Circle of Cornelis van der Voort (1576- 1624)
Oil on cradled panel
Presented by Titan ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
H 57.49 in W 42.92 in D 2.76 in
Christ Driving The Money Changers From The Temple By Rembrandt Van Rijn
Located in New Orleans, LA
Rembrandt van Rijn
1606-1669 Dutch
Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple
Etching on paper
New Hollstein's 139, state I of IV
Among the very best of the Old Masters stands the revered Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn, arguably the greatest etcher in the history of art. Certainly the most important Dutch printmaker of all time, his oeuvre features close to 300 authenticated prints, and his innovative techniques in the medium are without precedent. This superb etching, entitled Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple, displays the artistry and detail for which Rembrandt's prints are renowned.
In this work of art, Rembrandt presents a famous religious scene—a moment of pure pandemonium. In the biblical account of this event, Christ enters a temple and is overtaken by rage at the sight of merchants and money changers conducting their business within. Rembrandt captures Christ’s reaction, actions driven by his desire to reclaim the space as a place of worship. Christ is positioned at the center of the composition, wielding ropes as a whip, having just overturned a table, causing a merchant to scramble for his coins spilling onto the floor. The scene is replete with chaos, including figures running, shouting and animals in disarray, embodying the dynamic virtuosity for which Rembrandt is renowned. Likely inspired by a similar composition from Albrecht Dürer, this depiction is a testament to Rembrandt's mastery of conveying complex narratives through his meticulous hand.
Rembrandt has enjoyed much acclaim both during his lifetime and today for his paintings and prints. Emerging in the region in the early 16th century, printmaking experienced increased popularity during Rembrandt's lifetime, when an affluent new merchant class began spending their disposable income on artworks. Among the many printmakers of the era, Rembrandt stood out as he exploited the medium to its fullest. He often utilized techniques from his paintings, such as chiaroscuro, and successfully translated them to copper plate. His fluid lines, delicate cross-hatching and subtle tonalities allowed Rembrandt to achieve the sense of atmosphere that set his works apart.
Versions of this etching reside in numerous museums, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the St. Louis Museum of Art, among others.
Printed circa 1635
Etching: 5 1/4" high x 6 1/2" wide (13.34 x 16.51 cm)
Frame: 20 1/4" high x 16 1/4" wide (51.12 x 40.96 cm)
Literature:
Arthur M. Hind, A Catalogue of Rembrandt's Etchings...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Paper, Etching
H 20.13 in W 16.13 in D 0.88 in
Portrait of Gentleman, Thomas Bruce, Earl of Elgin c.1638 Manor House Provenance
Located in London, GB
Titan Fine Art present this picture which formed part of a historic collection of an English aristocratic family, Lord and Lady Sandys at their magnificent baroque and Regency Grade-I listed family home, Ombersley Court. The house was among the most fascinating survivals of its kind in this country. The atmospheric interiors were distinguished above all for the works of art associated with two key moments in national history and, more specifically, to the roles of Colonel the Hon. John Russell in the Civil War and the reign of King Charles II and of Lord Arthur Hill, later 2nd Baron Sandys, in the Peninsular War. The collection was acquired or commissioned over five centuries and remained at Ombersley Court until its recent sale, the first in 294 years. This painting hung in The Great Hall (see photo).
This charming portrait is an example of the type of small-scale panel portraits, often of splendid beauties of the time, that became fashionable from about the first quarter of the seventeenth century. The sitter has been depicted wearing a low-cut silk dress with the wide billowing sleeves typical of the late 1630’s. The simplicity of the ensemble is reinforced by the absence of lace on either the collar or cuffs. At this time gone are the complicated layers of fabrics, and now replaced with understated elegance of plain silk (satin and taffeta were most popular), with only a couple of focal points as accessories. There is an abundance of the accessory par excellence – pearls, and they are worn as a necklace, on her attire, and as earrings; the pear-shaped earrings are called ‘unions excellence’ reflecting the difficulty of finding perfectly matched pearls of such large size. They could range up to 20 millimetres in diameter. There is a splendid display of gold, diamond and pearl jewellery which is an obvious sign of her wealth.
The portrait is thought to represent Thomas Bruce (1596-1654), Earl of Elgin. The physiognomy and features in our portrait strongly correlate to a portrait of the Earl, by Cornelius Johnson (1593-1661), painted circa 1638, and is held at Kenwood House, London. Another painting from Ombersley Court, also with Titan Fine Art, is contemporaneous to ours and is thought to represent the Earl’s wife, Diana Cecil, 1st Countess of Elgin (c.1603-1654) - it appears to have derived from Cornelius Johnson’s depiction of the Countess circa 1638, also at Kenwood House. During the 1630’s Johnson painted a number of portraits, obviously influenced by Van Dyke. Here, Theodore Russel, who worked in the studios of both Van Dyle and Johnson, and later specialised in small scale reproductions of his master’s works, modelled the head, with the striking large dark eyes, on Cornelius Johnson, and the attire on Anthony van Dyke. There are also other portraits by Johnson of the sitter with very similar facial features to that of the sitter in ours. Theodore Russel and Cornelius Johnson also had a family connection as it is thought that Russel’s step-mother was a sister of Johnson.
Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin, was a prominent Scottish nobleman who held titles such as the 3rd Lord Bruce of Kinloss. He resided at Houghton House in Bedfordshire and played a significant role in the political and social landscape of his time. His legacy as an Earl and Lord continues to be remembered in history.
Thomas Bruce, born in Edinburgh in 1599, inherited the Scottish peerage title as the 3rd Lord Bruce of Kinloss at the age of 13 following his brother's untimely death in a duel. The family's estates, including Whorlton Castle and manor, were granted by King James I of England to Thomas's father, with the wardship of Thomas and the estates entrusted to his mother until he reached the age of 21. He maintained a strong connection with King Charles I's court during the Personal Rule, receiving titles of honour and prestigious roles throughout the years.
Thomas Bruce was married twice in his lifetime. His first marriage was to Anne Chichester in 1622. Ann died in 1627, the day after giving birth to their only child, Robert Bruce, who later became the 1st Earl of Ailesbury. On 12 November 1629, Thomas Bruce married Lady Diana Cecil, the daughter of William Cecil and widow of Henry de Vere. The marriage was childless, but Diana brought significant estates with her. Thomas Bruce died on 21 December 1663 at the age of 64.
This oil on panel portrait has been well cared for over its life, which spans almost four centuries. Having recently undergone a treatment to remove an obscuring discoloured varnish, it can be fully appreciated, and attributed to Theodore Russel.
Once owned by Evesham Abbey, the manor of Ombersley was acquired by the Sandys family in the early 1600s, when Sir Samuel Sandys, the eldest son of Edwin Sandys, Bishop of Worcester and later Archbishop of York, took a lease on the manor, before receiving an outright grant in 1614. The present house, Ombersley Court, dates from the time of Samuel, 1st Lord Sandys, between 1723 and 1730. The house itself is a fine example of an English Georgian country house set in rolling countryside and surrounded by Wellingtonias, planted to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo by Arthur Hill, 2nd Baron Sandys, who played a distinguished part in the battle and was one of the Duke of Wellington’s aides de camp. The Duke also stayed in the house and in the Great Hall, was the Waterloo banner which was brought to the house by Sir Arthur Hill, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, who succeeded his mother, the Marchioness of Downshire as 2nd Lord Sandys. Further Waterloo memorabilia are kettle drums from battle. The family had a strong tradition of military and political service, dating back to the 17th century, and this was also reflected in the fine collection of portraits and paintings in the house. In short, Ombersley represented a vital aspect of British history. The house and more especially the collection were of the greatest historical importance. Houses that have remained in the possession of the same family for as many as three centuries have become increasingly rare.
Through this portrait, collectors have a chance to acquire a piece of British history and an evocative vestige of a glittering way of life, which is now gone.
Presented in a fine period frame.
Theodore Russell, or Roussel, was born in London in 1614. His father came from Bruges to England and was the Royal Stuart jeweller. His apprenticeship was spent in the studio of his uncle, Cornelius Johnson, with whom he lived for about nine years. Sometime after 1632, he is said to have worked as an assistance to Van Dyck. He executed numerous copies of portraits by his famous master and other notable painters, also painting original works. He is particularly remembered for his portraits of Charles II at Woburn Abbey and James II at the Palace of Holyrood. His son, Antony Russel (c.1663–1743) was also a portrait-painter and is said to have studied under John Riley. Several of his copies were in the Royal Collections, and among the nobility.
Provenance
Richard Hill...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
H 18.9 in W 16.15 in D 1.58 in
Portrait of a Lady Diana Cecil, Countess of Elgin c.1638, Manor House Provenance
Located in London, GB
Titan Fine Art present this picture which formed part of a historic collection of an English aristocratic family, Lord and Lady Sandys at their magnificent baroque and Regency Grade-I listed family home, Ombersley Court. The house was among the most fascinating survivals of its kind in this country. The atmospheric interiors were distinguished above all for the works of art associated with two key moments in national history and, more specifically, to the roles of Colonel the Hon. John Russell in the Civil War and the reign of King Charles II and of Lord Arthur Hill, later 2nd Baron Sandys, in the Peninsular War. The collection was acquired or commissioned over five centuries and remained at Ombersley Court until its recent sale, the first in 294 years. This painting hung in The Great Hall (see photo).
This charming portrait is an example of the type of small-scale panel portraits, often of splendid beauties of the time, that became fashionable from about the first quarter of the seventeenth century. The sitter has been depicted wearing a low-cut silk dress with the wide billowing sleeves typical of the late 1630’s. The simplicity of the ensemble is reinforced by the absence of lace on either the collar or cuffs. At this fashion moved away from complicated layers of fabrics to an understated elegance of plain silk (satin and taffeta were most popular) with only a couple of focal points as accessories. However, obligatory for any respectable woman, pears are shown in abundance, as a necklace, on the dress attire, and pear-shaped earrings called ‘unions excellence’ reflecting the difficulty of finding perfectly matched pearls of such large size. They could range up to 20 millimetres in diameter. There is a splendid display of gold, diamond and pearl jewellery which is an obvious sign of her wealth.
The subject is thought to be Diana Bruce née Cecil, 1st Countess of Elgin (c.1603-1654). The physiognomy and features strongly correlate to a portrait of the countess by Cornelius Johnson (1593-1661), painted circa 1638, at Kenwood House, London. Another painting from Ombersley Court, also with Titan Fine Art, is contemporaneous to this and is thought to represent the countess’s husband, Thomas Bruce, 1st Earl of Elgin (1599-1663) – it appears to have derived from Cornelius Johnson’s portrait of the Earl, of circa 1638, also at Kenwood House. During the 1630’s Johnson painted a number of portraits, obviously influenced by Van Dyke. Here, Theodore Russel, who worked in the studios of both Van Dyle and Johnson, and later specialised in small scale reproductions of his master’s works, appears to have modelled the head, with the striking large dark eyes, on Cornelius Johnson, and the attire on Anthony van Dyke. Theodore Russel and Cornelius Johnson also had a family connection as it is thought that Russel’s step-mother was a sister of Johnson.
Diana Cecil, Countess of Oxford (1596–1654), later Countess of Elgin, was an English aristocrat. She was probably the middle daughter of the three daughters of William Cecil, 2nd Earl of Exeter and Elizabeth Drury. Her first husband, Henry de Vere, 18th Earl of Oxford, died in battle only 18 months after their marriage in 1624. She married her second husband Thomas Bruce (1599-I663) in 1629, becoming the Countess of Elgin in 1633. Her portrait was presumably painted at a similar time as the companion portrait of her husband, the Earl of Elgin. She died in 1654, outlived by her husband and leaving no children. A large monument exists of the countess in her burial shroud at Ailesbury Mausoleum, Bedfordshire.
The work has been well cared for over its life, which spanning almost four centuries, and having recently undergone a treatment to remove an obscuring discoloured varnish, it can be fully appreciated, and attributed to Theodore Russel.
Once owned by Evesham Abbey, the manor of Ombersley was acquired by the Sandys family in the early 1600s, when Sir Samuel Sandys, the eldest son of Edwin Sandys, Bishop of Worcester and later Archbishop of York, took a lease on the manor, before receiving an outright grant in 1614. The present house, Ombersley Court, dates from the time of Samuel, 1st Lord Sandys, between 1723 and 1730. The house itself is a fine example of an English Georgian country house set in rolling countryside and surrounded by Wellingtonias, planted to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo by Arthur Hill, 2nd Baron Sandys, who played a distinguished part in the battle and was one of the Duke of Wellington’s aides de camp. The Duke also stayed in the house and in the Great Hall, was the Waterloo banner which was brought to the house by Sir Arthur Hill, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Wellington, who succeeded his mother, the Marchioness of Downshire as 2nd Lord Sandys. Further Waterloo memorabilia are kettle drums from battle. The family had a strong tradition of military and political service, dating back to the 17th century, and this was also reflected in the fine collection of portraits and paintings in the house. In short, Ombersley represented a vital aspect of British history. The house and more especially the collection were of the greatest historical importance. Houses that have remained in the possession of the same family for as many as three centuries have become increasingly rare.
Through this portrait, collectors have a chance to acquire a piece of British history and an evocative vestige of a glittering way of life, which is now gone.
Presented in a fine period frame.
Theodore Russell, or Roussel, was born in London in 1614. His father came from Bruges to England and was the Royal Stuart jeweller. His apprenticeship was spent in the studio of his uncle, Cornelius Johnson, with whom he lived for about nine years. Sometime after 1632, he is said to have worked as an assistance to Van Dyck. He executed numerous copies of portraits by his famous master and other notable painters, also painting original works. He is particularly remembered for his portraits of Charles II at Woburn Abbey and James II at the Palace of Holyrood. His son, Antony Russel (c.1663–1743) was also a portrait-painter and is said to have studied under John Riley. Several of his copies were in the Royal Collections, and among the nobility.
Provenance
Richard Hill...
Category
17th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Oil, Wood Panel
H 18.9 in W 16.15 in D 1.58 in
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