17th Century British Oil Portrait of a Nobleman - Circle of Paul van Somer

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17th Century British Oil Portrait of a Nobleman - Circle of Paul van Somer

About the Item

A fine rare and highly desirable early 17th Century English portrait of a British nobleman in elaborate costume, by an artist in the circle of Paul Van Somer (1577-1621) Inscribed ‘AETATIS SVE 28 ANNO 1617’ The handsome sitter (aged 28 in 1617) sports a doublet made of a silver-satin fabric, which is lined, stiffened and shaped to mold the body beneath it. It is also decorated with strips of silver braid. The sitter is also keen to display his military and martial qualities as around his neck is a gorget, and this and the flamboyant sash worn over his shoulder are signifiers of bravery. Bearing arms is the mark of a gentleman, and the exquisite gold embroidery that adorns the sash leaves us in no doubt about this man’s social and economic standing. The most costly element of this gentleman attire is his sumptuous face-framing ruff, Its plain fabric is embellished with needlework in a technique called ‘cutwork’ or ‘reticella’ (from the Italian for snowflake). Selected warp and weft threads were removed from the woven fabric to create a net-like form that was then worked into with individual stitches to create the snowflake pattern. Around the edge of the ruff are ‘punto in aria’ (which translates as ‘stitches in the air’) that form little spiky patterns – little triangles of individual stitches. It represents a literal wealth of fabric, folded and gathered in order to display the costly reticella – and the face (and face value) of its wearer – to the best advantage. I am a fine and brave fellow – he seems to say – admire my character, my dress and my deportment. Paul Van Somer (1577-1621) Paul Van Somer was a Flemish artist who arrived in England from Antwerp during the reign of King James 1 of England and became one of the leading painters of the royal court. He painted a number of portraits both of James and his consort, Queen Anne of Denmark, and of nobles such as Ludovic Stuart, earl of Lennox, and Lady Anne Clifford. Van Somer is an elusive figure: little is known about him, and his art is rarely written about. However in the gallery notes at the Royal Collection his works are described as follows : ‘Like Daniel Mytens, who had settled in London from the Netherlands by 1618 and was Van Somer’s neighbour in St Martin’s Lane, Van Somer brought a new grandeur, fluency and naturalism to British court portraiture.’ Opinion of van Somer's work has varied with Horace Walpole perceiving one of his portraits to be as fine as a Van Dyck, and Booth Tarkington ( in his psychological study King James in Faded Paint) suggests that ‘Paulus van Somer had gifts and one of them was for the perception of character’ The artist is sometimes designated as "Paul van Somer I" to distinguish him from the engraver of the same name who was active in England between 1670 and 1694. This painting is presented in an excellent set of conservation and is ready to hang and enjoy in a later fine quality period frame. Higher resolution images on request. Worldwide shipping available. Provenance: Christie Manson and Woods Ltd. 8 King St, St. James, London, April 5th, 1963, Lot 38 (as Johnson) Canvas: 22” x 18” / 56cm x 46cm. Frame: 25" x 29" / 64cm x 74cm. Internal Ref: 0106

Dimensions:
Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 25 in (63.5 cm)Depth: 4 in (10.16 cm)
Medium:
Canvas,Oil
Movement & Style:
Old Masters
Circle Of:
Paul van Somer (1649 - 1694)
Period:
Early 17th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
London/Yorkshire, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU58937270432

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