- 258
Studio of Sir Antony van Dyck
Description
- Studio of Sir Antony van Dyck
- Portrait of Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland (1602-1668)
- inscribed, lower left: Algernon Percy Kt.
- oil on canvas, held in a seventeenth century, magnificently carved and gilded trophy frame
Provenance
By family tradition in the ownership of the Leetham family since the 17th century;
Henry Ernest Leetham (1861-1923), Aldersyde House, York;
thence by descent to the present owners
Exhibited
Greenwich, National Maritime Museum, A Sea of Faces, May 2001-April 2002;
Greenwich, National Maritime Museum, Queen's House, on loan from 1996
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
This magnificent image of the 10th Earl of Northumberland is an early version of the portrait at Alnwick, the property of the Duke of Northumberland. The original was probably painted to commemorate the sitter's appointment on 13th April 1638 as Lord High Admiral of England. In the years before the Civil War Northumberland held various naval positions including Admiral of the Ship Money Fleet, but later became disillusioned with the King's politics and became the highest-ranking member of the King's government to side with Parliament. However, he never supported Cromwell's activities and withdrew from public life during the Commonwealth period, only to return to it following the Restoration, serving as Lord Lieutenant of both Sussex and Northumberland. According to Clarendon he had 'the most esteemed and unblemished reputation, in court and in country, of any person of his rank, throughout the kingdom' (W. D. Macray (ed.) Clarendon's 'The History of the Rebellion and Civil Wars in England, London 1888, Vol. III, p. 228). A collector and patron he formed a very good collection of pictures and works of art, commissioning a considerable number of works by van Dyck, as well as buying two famous works by Titian from the van Dyck's collection after his death.
By the nineteenth century this painting belonged to the distinguished corn merchant and flour mills magnate Henry Ernest Leetham, who inherited a shipping fortune from his grandfather John, a master mariner whose family dominated the 17th century shipping routes between Hull and Antwerp. By 1854 the Leethams had established an enterprising complex of flour mills at Hungate, utilising the river and sea trade routes. The company was later expanded by Henry Ernest, who was governor of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of York, and in 1895 built Aldersyde House, where this picture would have hung. Through the marriage of two of his daughters he was connected to the Terry's chocolate family of York, the celebrated confectioners, and was the only non family member to serve as their Chairman. It has been suggested that the picture once hung at The Trinity House, in Hull, with which the family were connected.