Oak Portrait Paintings

Here we see a reproduction of the renowned triptych altarpiece "The Werl Triptych" by Robert Campin, dating back to 1438, currently housed in the Prado Museum in Madrid. Unfortunately, the centerpiece of the triptych is missing. It portrays Heinrich von Werl, the donor, who is shown kneeling and praying alongside Saint John the Baptist. Von Werl was a member of the Minorite order, now known as the Franciscan order, based in Osnabrück. He relocated to Cologne in 1430 to pursue his studies at the university, where he earned a master's degree in 1435, after being previously designated as the provincial of the Cologne province. It is likely that von Werl commissioned the original triptych for the Minorite church in Cologne. The painting also reflects the concept of an intermediary saint, a notion influenced by Jan van Eyck...

Joos van Cleve (Follower of) 1485-1540 Saint Jerome in His Study Painted by a follower of Joos van Cleve, (approx in the early 17th century). There a...

In late 17th century Amsterdam, no one could rival Nicolas Maes (1634– 1693) in the art of portraiture. As one of Rembrandts most accomplished pupils, Maes explored both genre painti...

A pair of portraits of husband and wife William and Jane de Malbone, to be sold as a pair but priced individually. The first portrait is of William de Malbone aged 44 and dated 1621 with the inscription upper left 'Aetatis sua 44 : An Domini 1621' and family crest upper left. He is richly dressed wearing a black silk damask tunic with a fine white lace ruff and cuffs. He holds a scroll in one hand and his ruff band strings in the other, with a gold ring worn on his little finger. Oil on oak panel, in an ebonised wooden frame, with oak cradling...

A pair of portraits of husband and wife Jane and William de Malbone. To be sold as a pair but priced individually. The first portrait features Jane de Malbone aged 38 and dated 1620 with the inscription upper left 'Aetatis sue 38 : AN 1620'. She wears a black gown and hat with white lace ruff and cuffs and sleeves lined with red silk. Her clothes are adorned with expensive jewels, gold chains and coral beads, demonstrating her wealth and high status. A gold locket, possibly containing a portrait miniature of a loved one or a timepiece hangs from a chain at her waist and as well as wearing a ring with a precious stone on one finger, she wears a second ring attached to the lace of her cuff. She holds a finely worked gold handle of a fan in one hand and there is a gold key attached to her skirt, suggesting either more riches locked away or perhaps referring to a position of responsibility she holds. Dimensions: height 103 x width 81cm (in frame) The portrait of the gentleman is of her husband, William de Malbone aged 44 and dated 1621 with the inscription upper left 'Aetatis sua 44 : An Domini 1621' and family crest upper left. He is richly dressed wearing a black silk damask tunic with a fine white lace ruff and cuffs. He holds a scroll in one hand and his ruff band strings in the other, with a gold ring worn on his little finger. Oil on oak panel, in an ebonised wooden frame, with oak cradling to the reverse of the panel. Dimensions: height 87.5 x width 71.5cm (in frame) Provenance: The Right Hon. The Lord Stanley of Alderley Christies, London, 'Old Pictures', December 9, 1938, lot 28 and 29. Sold to Smedley-Aston Christies, London February 16, 1945, lot 129 Private collection, Isle of Wight The Malbones (or Malbons) were descended from the barons of Wich Malbank or Nantwich as it is known today in Cheshire, the first of whom came over from France in 1080AD. The barons were the owners of large swathes of land according to the Domesday Book. Following the end of the Barony, a line of Malbons are documented as living at Bradeley Hall, Haslington until 1726 and were there during the Civil War in 1642 when a Thomas Malbon recorded the events from the viewpoint of a Parliamentarian. According to the date and age inscribed on this portrait, the male sitter is probably a William Malbone (1584-1648), son of George Malbone and Matilda Leversage and brother of Thomas Malbone (1578-1658), a lawyer. The scroll in his hand indicates that he was probably a man of letters, perhaps a lawyer or politician. After several generations the Malbones clearly decided it was wise to leave national politics behind and to focus on managing their own land and business affairs. Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger was a Flemish artist working at the Tudor Court. He was born in Bruges and was brought to England as a child by his father, Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder, who was also a painter. He became a fashionable portraitist in the last decade of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I under the patronage of her champion and pageant-master Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley and painted the portrait of Elizabeth known as the 'Ditchley Portrait' in 1592 as well as the full-length of the Queen's favourite, the Earl of Essex...