17thc Oil Portrait Of A Baby Circle Of Mary Beale (1633-1699) English School

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(Circle of) Mary Beale
17thc Oil Portrait Of A Baby Circle Of Mary Beale (1633-1699) English School
Late 17th Century

About the Item

A Fine late 17thc Oil Portrait of a baby holding a coral teether. ABOUT THE ARTIST ( Circle of Mary Beale ) Mary Beale (née Cradock; late March 1633 – 8 October 1699) was one of the most successful professional female Baroque-era portrait painters of the late 17th century due to her perseverance of her business. Praised by Richard Gibson and court painter Peter Lely, she is considered as successful as Joan Carlile. Joan Carlile was also an English portrait painter, who was one of the first women to practise painting professionally. Mary Beale managed to be the financial provider for her family through her professional portrait business. Mary Beale stood apart from other women due to her outspokenness and successful business that allowed her to be the breadwinner of the family. Portraits of babies from the 17th & 18th centuries are quite rare, and obviously desirable for their charm and appeal. This delightful portrait of a round-cheeked, blue-eyed infant is posed using the conventions established for formal European court portraiture, and as found in other early portraits of royal or aristocratic infants. The child is depicted full-length, sitting with a highly formalised velvet curtain drape in the background. As with other royal and noble portraits, the baby is shown propped up as if on a chair of state, and seemingly possessing the self-control and formal bearing normally found in portraiture of adults at court. The absence of a family armorial, combined with a lack of knowledge as to the portrait’s original provenance, make the identification the child problematic. However the scale and richness of composition, with the baby dressed in the finest and most expensive white satin dress trimmed with lace and holding an expensive hand crafted coral teether,suggests that at the very least, this is a child from an wealthy family. The prominence of the coral teether in the picture reflects the traditional belief that coral has magical protective properties. It was thought that coral could ward off illnesses and evil spirits. Coral was also hard, cool and clean, making it ideal as a material for the teething infant. In fact, the coral’s rich colour was thought to reflect the appearance of physical well-being and if the coral began to change colour it was a harbinger of illness. The baby in this portrait is wearing pink ribbons, it is interesting to note that the colours pink and blue were not associated with the gender of children until the 20th century.

Creator:
(Circle of) Mary Beale (1633 - 1699, British)
Creation Year:
Late 17th Century
Dimensions:
Height: 37 in (93.98 cm)Width: 32 in (81.28 cm)Depth: 1.25 in (3.18 cm)
Medium:
Oil
Movement & Style:
Baroque
Period:
Late 17th Century
Condition:
The painting has been re-lined to ensure good condition into the future Presented in the original 18th century carved wood frame which has some distress, but no losses or repairs required.
Gallery Location:
Leicester, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 06751stDibs: LU100913199021

17thc Oil Portrait Of A Baby Circle Of Mary Beale (1633-1699) English School

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(Circle of) Mary Beale
17thc Oil Portrait Of A Baby Circle Of Mary Beale (1633-1699) English School
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17thc Oil Portrait Of A Baby Circle Of Mary Beale (1633-1699) English School

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(Circle of) Mary Beale
17thc Oil Portrait Of A Baby Circle Of Mary Beale (1633-1699) English School
Late 17th Century

Christian Schildbach
Portrait of a Gentleman, Halung, Court Painter Schildbach, Gotha, Convex Copper, c. 1720

Erasmus Quellinus the Younger
Continence of Scipio, Erasmus Quellinus, School Rubens, Baroque Art, Old Master, c. 1645

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Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato
Madonna Addolorata By Sassoferrato, Circa 1650