English School, 18th Century

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 1 June 1928, lot 77 (as A. Hanneman);
With M. Grieve Co., New York;
From whom acquired by John W. Higgins, 31 May 1929;
By whom given to the Higgins Armory on 15 December 1931;
Collection transfer to the Worcester Art Museum, January 2014 (2014.145, as Attributed to Adriaen Hanneman).

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting is presentable in its current state, but the restoration could be improved. The canvas is lined with wax. The lining is not supporting the vertical break in the canvas above and to the left of the head. This break measures about 7 inches long. Although the work has been cleaned, a good deal of dirt remains. The paint layer seems to be mostly healthy throughout, with very slight thinness in the thighs of the figure. Some of the grainy texture is probably original. No retouches are evident under ultraviolet light in the face, but some of the slightly lighter marks may correspond to old retouching. Overall the condition of the work seems impressive, but the lining should be reversed in order to properly support the break in the upper center.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

The young man clad in armor in this impressive portrait stands in a landscape gesturing towards a fortress in the background that is identifiable as Pontefract Castle in West Yorkshire. It was the site of a series of famous sieges during the English Civil War of the 17th century.  The sitter has traditionally been identified as “Captain Poole” and is likely to be Captain Joseph Poole Esq. of Sykehouse ( d. 1704), who was a captain in the Parliamentary army and involved in the siege of Pontefract Castle.  He wears armor loosely based on English Greenwich armor of the early 17th century.

This portrait and the following lot were in the collection of the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester, MA, founded by John Woodman Higgins (1874-1961).  Opened in 1931, it displayed his vast collection of arms and armor in a building specifically constructed for that purpose.  The collection was transferred and integrated into the Worcester Art Museum in 2014.