18th Century and Earlier Portrait Paintings

Remigius Van Leemput Portrait of Nicholas Poyntz 1607-1675 Oil on oak panel Image size: 13 x 10 1/4 inches (33 x 26 cm) Contemporary style frame Provenance The Dalva Brothers Colle...

English School Cardinal Thomas Wolsey 16th Century Oil on oak panel Image size: 22 1/4 x 18 inches (56.5 x 46 cm) Contemporary style frame Provenance Tudor Exhibition, New Gallery, ...

Portrait of Lady Mansfield of Ringwood Oil on Canvas Image size: 25 x 30 inches (63 x 76 cm) Original carved & gilded frame POA Provenance Descended through the Family Estate Born in Poland in 1760 to the 2nd Earl of Mansfield and his wife, Elizabeth Mary Murray would later come under the care of her uncle, William Murray (1st Earl of Mansfield) at Kenwood House in Hampstead. David Murray (2nd Earl of Mansfield) was set to inherit the title and full wealth of his uncle, including Kenwood House. Lady Mansfield’s second cousin would soon join her at Kenwood, where they would be raised together and featured in multiple portraits of the time. Her younger sister, Henrietta, is seen in a separate portrait done by Thomas Hudson as well. At the age of 25 she married George Finch-Hatton, an English aristocrat and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1772-1784. Gazing out at the viewer, Lady Mansfield wears a decorated dress, with an abundance of pearls and lace, and a transparent gold lined veil surrounding her right shoulder. The excess of luxurious fabric matches another Hudson portrait of another Lady Mansfield, with the lace detailing and complementary bodice. The depiction of this Lady Mansfield epitomizes the style of portraiture in the 18th century, such as the styles Hudson’s pupils Joshua Reynolds, Joseph Wright, and Peter Toms. From Hudson’s travels to the Low Countries and Italy, he no doubt brought back artistic inspiration from the international pieces he encountered. Thomas Hudson Hudson was a celebrated 18th century portrait painter. Born in Devon in 1701 he studied under the artist Jonathan Richardson and married his daughter, against Richardson’s wishes. He had many artistic friends including William Hogarth and Francis Hayman and travelled with them in Europe in 1748. He also visited Italy with the sculptor Louis-François Roubiliac in 1752. Hudson’s style of portraiture proved so successful that for a decade from 1745 to 1755 he was London’s most popular portrait painter and made a fortune painting the cream of London society and members of the Royal Family. He was also a talented teacher, perhaps too good, as subsequently a number of his former assistants overtook him in popularity including the artist Joshua Reynolds. Hudson retired in the late 1750’s and died in Twickenham in 1779. His most notable works include portraits of King George II and George Friedrich Handel and his “Portrait of a Nobleman in Van Dyck dress.” Many of Hudson’s works may be seen in art galleries. These include the National Portrait Gallery, the National Maritime Museum, the Tate Gallery, the Foundling Museum and the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. His works are also in Museums across the world...

Portrait of Lady Mansfield of Ringwood Oil on Canvas Image size: 25 x 30 inches (63 x 76 cm) Original carved & gilded frame POA Provenance Descended through the Family Estate The y...

After Robert Walker 1599 - 1658 Portrait of Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), bust-length, in armour Oil on canvas Image size: 24 x 29 inches (61 x 73 cm) Original carved gilt frame This...

Studio of Adriaen Isenbrandt 1510 - 1551 The Virgin and Child Enthroned Oil on oak panel, wax seal verso Image size: 10 3/4 x 8 inches (27 x 20.5 cm) Contemporary style frame (image below) POA Provenance Collection of Mrs Marianne Hudson Mary, holding Jesus in her arms, is centrally positioned against a gold detailed architectural backdrop, reflecting the traditional iconography of the enthroned Virgin and Child. This composition suggests the theme of “Maestà” or “Majesty,” emphasising the figures religious significance. In the painting from the studio of Adriaen Isenbrandt, the artist masterfully infuses the scene with rich symbolism and hidden meanings that reflect the cultural and religious context of the period. The infant Christ, seated on the Virgin Mary’s lap, is draped in a delicate, translucent white garment that symbolises his purity. In his hand, he clutches a piece of coral, a multifaceted symbol representing immortality, youth, and health. Notably, coral was also a common teething tool during that era, adding another layer of contemporary relevance. A scarlet-headed blackbird, native to South America, perches gracefully on Christ’s outstretched finger. This bird is a potent symbol of creation and protection, enhancing the divine narrative of the scene. Mary, with a tender and loving gesture, caresses Christ’s back while gazing adoringly at her son, underscoring her role as the nurturing mother of God. Mary is centrally positioned within an architectural alcove, which subtly suggests a heavenly halo without explicitly depicting one. The alcove’s niches, traditionally used to emphasise the importance of sculptures, further highlight her significance. She is adorned in a voluminous red gown, with the undulating folds of the fabric accentuated by white highlights. The red colour of her dress symbolises maternal qualities, while the iridescent blue undercoat, visible in certain areas, signifies sanctity and purity due to its rarity and expense at the time. Moreover, Mary is depicted as the epitome of contemporary Medieval...

Oil on canvas Image size: 13 x 16 1/2 inches (33 x 42 cm) Contemporary style frame (Image below) Provenance Private European Collection Darnley Fine Art offers this boldly brushed ...

Spanish School (18th Century), A Rare Portrait of Juan Procopio de Bassecourt, count of Santa Clara, governor of the island of Cuba between December 1796 and May 1799. The lighthouse...

Oil on canvas Image size: 22 x 20 inches (22.75 x 51 cm) Pierced gilt frame This half-length portrait shows the sitter with her head and eyes looking over her shoulder, to the right. She is dressed in a delicate blue dress and blue shawl with her hair tied up away from her face. The composition of the painting is simple but effective; the woman stands out and is the undeniable focus of the viewer's attention. George Romney's artistic style is characterised by its focus on the beauty and elegance of human forms. Here, one can appreciate his ability to capture the delicacy of facial features and the soft textures of clothing. In addition, Romney has used a soft and diffuse brushstroke technique that creates a light and soft effect in the work. The dark and diffused background highlights the young woman's figure even more, creating an effect of depth and realism. It is possible that this sitter is Miss Anne Dutton. George Romney Romney was a fashionable portrait painter of late 18th-century English society. In his portraits Romney avoided delving into the character or sensibilities of the sitter. His great success with his society patrons depended largely on just this ability for dispassionate flattery. Line rather than colour dominates; the flowing rhythms and easy poses of Roman classical sculpture underlie the smooth patterns of his compositions. From 1755 to 1757 Romney was the pupil of Christopher Steele, an itinerant portrait and genre painter. Romney’s career began when he toured the northern English counties painting portraits for a few guineas each. In 1762 he went to London. His history painting The Death of General Wolfe won him an award from the Society of Arts; nonetheless he turned almost immediately to portrait painting. In 1764 he paid his first visit to Paris, where he was befriended by Joseph Vernet. Romney especially admired the work of Nicolas Le Sueur, whose use of the antique strongly appealed to him. In 1773 he went to Italy for two years, where he studied Raphael’s Stanze frescoes in Rome, Titian’s paintings...

Oil on oak panel Image size: 14 1/4 x 11 3/4 inches (36 x 30 cm) Period style frame This portrait shows Chaucer with a string of beads in one hand and a writing implement in the other. The Arms in the top left of the picture are the Arms of Chaucer, featuring a per pale argent and gules, a bend counterchanged. This painting appears to derive, like all other portraits of Chaucer, from an illustration in an early fifteenth-century manuscript, Hoccleve's De Regimine Principum. Here Hoccleve included one portrait of Chaucer, showing him with an inkhorn around his neck and holding a rosary in one hand. Since it is likely that Hoccleve had met Chaucer, many scholars believe this could be the most genuine representation of the English writer with all other depictions being seemingly based on it. In almost all portraits of Chaucer, including this one, the poet is shown wearing a pendant attached to his vest. This item is often considered to be a penner, included in the artworks as a sign of the general occupation of a writer. Whilst the pendant is generally accepted as a case for a writing instrument, possibly with equal plausibility, it has also been suggested that the item is an ampulla, a small lead vial containing water and the blood of St. Thomas Becket...

Frans Hals 1582-1666 Dutch Portrait of a Gentleman (possibly Theodore Blevet) Oil on panel “Frans Hals is a colourist among the colourists...Frans Hals must have had twenty-seven blacks...

Portrait of a well-to-do gentleman in pastel on parchment. Signed left: Marteau L. 1760. French School, possibly by Louis Marteau (1715 – 1804) In a gilded 19th century frame. Dimen...