NICHOLAS HILLIARD | Portrait of a young gentleman, circa 1600

Sir Sidney Patrick Shelley, 8^th Bt. (1880-1965),
his sale, London, Christie’s, 9 November 1965, lot 89;
Robert Lane Bayne-Powell (1910-1994);
his executor's sale, London, Sotheby’s, 11 October 1994, lot 34

Edinburgh, 1975, no. 75

Foskett, 1972, vol. II, p. 51, no. 410, pl. 160

The work was slightly folded diagonally starting at 4 o'clock margin which has led to slight loss of paint and prepared ground across his coat and collar. One highlight of the embroidery of his coat is missing and the red drapery background is crazed, particularly in the darker areas. It may be presumed that the work has been cut down because the full shape of the heart is not fully described. It is none-the-less as extraordinary romantic and poetic image.
"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 formerly identified as the poet Sir Philip Sidney (1554-86), however a comparison with accepted portraits of Sidney exclude this possibility. Further, the details of his costume indicate a date of execution after the poet’s death. The sensitive delineation of the young man’s features, and the use of the apparently unique form of the inverted heart reverse, render the miniature a pictorial parallel of the melancholic humour explored by poets of the period. 

A portrait by Isaac Oliver of Ludovic Stuart, 1^st Duke of Richmond and 2^nd Duke of Lennox (1574-1624), of equally unusual inverted drop shape, is in the National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG 3063). Interestingly this miniature is depicted in a portrait of the Duke’s widow, Frances Howard, painted circa 1624, in the collection of the Marquess of Bath, Longleat.<sup>1

1.</sup> Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, Secret Passion to Noble Fashion: The World of the Portrait Miniature, Bath, 1999, p. 19, fig. 4