Theodore Roussel, Portrait of King Charles I

View Similar Items

Painting - Portrait of 2 King Charles Spaniels - DETRIXHE Robert

Painting - Portrait of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Dog - by Robert Detrixhe

Yoruba King Portrait

Charming child portrait of Swedish king Charles XI from the late 17th Century

A King Charles Spaniel on a Red Cushion

Large Oil Portrait of Victor-amédée King of Sardinia

19th Century Oil on Panel Of Charles V King of France

Framed Oil Painting on Board of King Charles Spaniel Dog

Portrait of a young women - Charles Baptiste SCHREIBER, 1893

Portrait of Prince William III the Son of King George II

Portrait of King Henri IV of France Oil on Canvas 1553-1610

King Charles Spaniel, signed Alfred Daniels (1924 - 2015)

Want more images or videos?

Request additional images or videos from the seller

1 of 2

Theodore Roussel, Portrait of King Charles I

About the Item

Oil on panel; 15 ½ by 12 ¼ in; 39.5 x 31 cm; held in a gilt 17th century style frame Provenance: John Boscawen Monro (1792-1847) and then by descent This painting is a head and shoulders version, taken from a full length portrait of Charles I painted c.1636 which is now in the State Hermitage Museum, St.Petersburg. Depicted in full armor and wearing the chain of The Most Noble Order of The Garter, the King is shown as a military leader, unlike his earlier depiction by van Dyck as a father in the less formal group portrait of 1632 known as 'The great Peece' (Royal Collection). Bernini, the great sculptor, when in receipt of the important triple portrait of Charles by van Dyck remarked that there was a certain sadness in the monarch's eyes, a feature which the artist has also identified herein. Although subtly different from the original, a certain melancholic air is perceptible in the King's facial expression; a wetness around the eyes and slightly withdrawn look to the expression. This, compounded by the rendering of the mouth, creates an image less confident in tone than that of 1636. while difficult to date precisely these reduced copies of van Dyck's works were produced around the middle of the 17th century, particularly during the time of the English Civil War and the King's execution in 1649. They were much in demand as 'closet pictures,' adorning the private walls of royalist supporters. There has been a great deal of scholarly discussion concerning these small portrait panels. It is difficult to determine the ultimate authorship beyond doubt, (Karen Hearn: Van Dyck & Britain, Tate London, 2009 p.176). There is a group in the Royal collection which has been attributed to Remigius van Leemput (1607-1675). Others such as those at Woburn have been thought to be the work of Roussel and relate to this example. Stylistic differences clearly exist among them all and this enforces the fact that more than one artist was at work, copying van Dyck's portrait in this manner. Yet, broadly speaking, distinctions can be made by comparison. Roussel's attributed works generally display a greater linear definition, especially around the face. Existing works by Leemput are often more softly outlined. As can be seen very clearly in this portrait of Charles, both the face and the body are worked up from a light grey ground with the paint applied thickly in some areas and sparsely in others, with certain aspects, noticeably the hair, being strongly drawn with the brush. There is a strong sense of characterization, something that is not that common with these copies, which makes this particular image of the King distinctive. Theodore Roussel (Russell) was born in London in 1614, the son of Nicasius, a goldsmith and jeweler who left Bruges for England around 1567 and married his second wife Clara in 1604. She was the sister of the eminent portrait painter Cornelis Johnson with whom Theodore reputedly spent a nine year apprenticeship prior to working as an assistant to van Dyck. Following the master's death in 1641, Roussel appears to have begun copying van Dyck's portraits "very tolerably on small panels." However, no contemporary accounts have surfaced to corroborate this and confusion with what are now accepted as small works by Leemput have cast some doubt on the volume of work he undertook in this manner. There is a set of five bust-length portraits at Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, including a male portrait, signed and dated 1644; but generally, signed portraits by Roussel are rare indeed. Small panel portrait sets including works attributable to both Leemput and Roussel (some copied directly from van Dyck) can be found at Woburn in Bedfordshire, Southside in Wimbledon and Knowle in Kent, as well as examples in the Royal Collection. By the early 19th century this portrait was recorded as being in the collection of John Boscawen Monro (1792-1847) and it has descended through this family until recent times. Monro, was a barrister in London during his early working life and a label on the reverse of the panel states that he "had it hanging in his chambers in the Middle Temple where he lived as a young man". He was a relative of Dr. Thomas Monro, the artist and physician.

Dimensions:
Height: 20.25 in (51.44 cm)Width: 17.25 in (43.82 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
17th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1640
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU103241285376

More From This Seller

View All

Jan van der Vaart Portrait of Dorothy, Lady Brownlow

By Jan van der Vaart

Located in London, GB

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...

Category

Antique Late 17th Century English Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Giltwood

Jan van der Vaart Portrait of Dorothy, Lady Brownlow

$17,588

Late 19th Century Botanical Watercolor of a Red Lily

Located in London, GB

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

Category

Antique 1890s English Paintings

Late 19th Century Botanical Watercolor of a Red Lily

$1,022

19th Century Technical Watercolor of a Green Steam Locomotive by Lois Dubois

Located in London, GB

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

Category

Antique 19th Century French Victorian Decorative Art

Materials

Paper

Category

Antique Early 18th Century Italian Renaissance Paintings

Materials

Paint

Large Oil Portrait of Victor-amédée King of Sardinia

$9,816 Sale Price

20% Off