English School

three-quarter length, standing in robes of office, holding a manuscript in his right hand

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition. There is a very minor spot of retouching to the sitters costume in the centre of the canvas and there are extreemly small scattered flecks of residue on the surface in places. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals scattered areas of very minor retouching, particularly concentrated in the hands and to the folds of the drappery about the cuff of the sitters left hand. The rest of the retouching is in very small flecks in the face, areas of the sitters body and infilling to craquelure about the stretcher bars in the background. FRAME Held in a gilded Sunderland frame with a heraldic coat-of-arms set into the apex and a lions mask carved at the base.
"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."

The sitter was born at Wardour Castle, Wiltshire, the fourth  and youngest son of Laurence Hyde (d.1590) of Gussage St Michael, Dorset, and West Hatch, Wiltshire, and his second wife, Anne Sibell (d.1606). Educated at Exeter College, Oxford,  he joined the Middle Temple on 14th July 1590, though he was not formally admitted to chambers there until 1593. In 1597 he gained the parliamentary seat for Old Sarum, and was called to the bar the following year.

Following a meteoric career Hyde was retained, in 1626, by the Duke of Buckingham to help draft responses to his articles of impeachment, a commission which led directly to his knighting and appointment as Chief Justice of the King's Bench on 5th February 1627.

In 1601 he married Mary, daughter of Arthur Swayne of Sarson, Hampshire, by whom he had three sons and a daughter. By the time of his death in May 1630 Hyde had accumulated manors in Hampshire, Wiltshire and Devon, as well as East India stock and shares in London waterworks.