Lot 128
  • 128

ENGLISH SCHOOL, 1596 | Double portrait of a gentleman and his wife, both half-length

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
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Description

  • English School, 1624
  • Double portrait of a gentleman and his wife, both half-length
  • dated upper centre: 15·96
  • oil on oak panel
  • 62 x 76.8 cm.; 24 3/8  x 30 1/4  in.

Provenance

Captain Richard Neville, Butleigh Court, Glastonbury, Somerset;
By whom sold, London, Christie's, 5 April 1946, lot 45 (as by a Follower of Lucas de Heere), to The Arcade Gallery;
With Peter Wengraf, The Arcade Gallery, London;
From whom purchased in March 1947 by the late husband of the present owner.

Exhibited

London, Arcade Gallery, Elizabethan Portraits, 19 March – 19 April 1947, no. 12.

Literature

Advertised in The Burlington Magazine, vol. LXXXIX, no. 528, March 1947;
G.M. Trevelyan, Illustrated English Social History, vol. I, London 1949, reproduced fig. 148.

Condition

The panel is flat and stable, and is made up of three horizontal planks, bevelled on all four sides, supported by small, rectangular battens. The paint surface is relatively clean and the varnish is discoloured. There is a small horizontal line of lifting along the upper panel join just below the gentleman's proper left eye, and discoloured retouchings visible along the entire length of the join, and in his coat, most notably lower left. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms this, along with further retouchings in the background between the sitters, along the left and right-hand margins, in the beard, cheek and forehead of the man, and around the jawline, nose and left eye of the lady. Older retouchings are just visible beneath the opaque varnish, in her hair, scattered in the margins, and in his beard and hair. Despite this intervention the painting reads well and is in overall fair 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 double portrait was formerly identified as William Cecil, Lord Burleigh (1520–98) and his second wife Mildred Cooke (1526–89). The lady wears a prominent pendant hung from a string of pearls, engraved with what appears to be a phoenix – the heraldic emblem of the Seymours, adopted by Elizabeth I – symbolic of Christ's Resurrection and, as always being born afresh from flames and ashes, uniqueness and survival in adversity.