17th Century Marine Oil, Studio of Willem van de Velde the Younger II

Jan van der Vaart (1647-1727) Portrait of Dorothy, Lady Brownlow (1664-1700) Oil on canvas; held in a period carved wood frame circa 1687 Considered a beauty of the age, Dorothy, Lady Brownlow was painted on a number of occasions by some of the most talented and respected artists of the day; Kneller, Riley, Closterman, Dahl and Wissing, all rendered her features in oil for posterity. The portrait presented here is by Jan van der Vaart who from 1685-1687 was employed by Willem Wissing as a drapery and landscape painter. After Wissing’s death in 1687 he practiced as an independent portraitist much in the style of his master with some influence also of Kneller. This work is in fact the head and shoulders taken from Wissing’s three-quarter length of Lady Brownlow which hangs at Belton House, Lincolnshire and produced as a mezzotint in 1687. Van der Vaart has made some intriguing alterations particularly as the sitter now looks directly at us, appearing rather more provocative and self assured of her beauty. The confident rendering of the dress and pearls and the thickly drawn copious hair are hallmarks of Van der Vaart’s work. It is likely he completed this portrait – shortly after Wissing’s version – as a smaller variant intended for another family member as was often the practice. Dorothy Mason married Sir William Brownlow 4th Bt. in July 1688; she was the daughter and heir of Sir Richard Mason a politician and courtier to Charles II who owned estates at Bishop’s Castle, Salop and Sutton Surrey. She came from, and married into extreme wealth; her dowry upon marriage was £10,000 and on her death her husband inherited the estates that were once her father’s. In June 1697 William Brownlow succeeded his brother to the baronetcy and to most of his landed estates including Belton House. In 1698 he abandoned his Peterborough seat to contest Bishop’s Castle on behalf of his wife and in the interest of his mother-in-law, Lady Anna Mason...

A late 19th century botanical study depicting a red lily. Watercolor on paper held within a reeded giltwood frame.

A 15/100 scale beautiful watercolor of a steam locomotive listing the technical names for the component parts and inscribed 'Pensionnat St Gabriel - Chatell...

A late 18th century Chinese export watercolour, depicting a man and a woman in a garden, a watermelon set upon the window sill.  

A late 19th century watercolor and pencil study of a golden clematis, Clematis Tangutica. Watercolor and pencil on paper set within a reeded giltwood frame.

A late 19th century botanical watercolor depicting a spring blossom.

Beautiful burin from the rare suite "The Months" performed by the artist and engraved by Claens Jansz Visscher (1587-19 June 1652). Very fresh and well contrasted, laid paper with w...

Beautiful burin from the rare suite "The Months" performed by the artist and engraved by Claens Jansz Visscher (1587-19 June 1652). Very fresh and well contrasted, laid paper with w...

An outstanding and grand 17th century Baroque oil painting on an oval wooden panel of the Madonna and Child. Beautifully executed and stunning patina.

17th century Virgin of the Assumption Oil on canvas, 93 x 81 cm Frame, 110 x 97 cm The present Assumption of the Virgin welcomes an innova...

17th century Madonna of the milk Oil on panel, 27 x 20 cm - with frame 32.5 x 26 cm The subject of the work in question is particularly fascinating for its sweetness and refinem...

An oil on canvas portrait of a young French courtier, circa 1690. This evocative antique French school picture has been attributed to the portrait painter Jean-François de Troy (1679-1752). De Troy was famous as a portrait painter of fashionable society women. This is a very attractive late 17th century painting surviving in its original frame and stretcher. The canvas appears to be untouched. References: 'Jean François de Troy, The Alarm, or the Gouvernante Fidèle', at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. 'Jean François de Troy, Paris 1679 - Rome 1752', at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Laurie G. Winters, Troy, de, Grove Art Online, Oxford Art Online, Oxford University Press, 6 May 2016. Everett Fahy & Jayne Wrightsman...