Property from an Italian Private Collection

Guillaume de Fal, 17th century

A portrait of Louis Henry, Prince of Nassau-Dillenburg (1594-1662) and his family, full-length, in the portico of a palace

UK: Greenford Park Warehouse

Lot Closed

December 5, 02:34 PM GMT

Estimate

15,000 - 20,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Property from an Italian Private Collection

Guillaume de Fal, 17th century

A portrait of Louis Henry, Prince of Nassau-Dillenburg (1594-1662) and his family, full-length, in the portico of a palace

signed and dated lower centre: Guilliam. De Fal Inv f. / 1653.

oil on canvas, unframed

unframed: 182 x 134.5 cm.; 71 5/8 x 53 in.

The old glue lining is stable. It has an even layer of old discoloured varnish, and has clearly not had any conservation work done for a long time. Under both natural and ultra-violet light there is very little evidence of any restoration, except to a very limited extent in the shadows of the dark parts of the Prince's costume. A cleaning and revarnishing would help to seal the few areas where the edges of the craquelure are showing signs of lifting, but there is scant evidence of flaking, last or present.

The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.

Louis Henry was the son of the Count George of Nassau-Beilstein and later Nassau-Dillenburg. His mother was Anna Amalie Countess of Nassau-Saarbrücken. He was first educated at the court in Dillenburg and later at Herborn Academy and then made a Grand Tour to France and the Netherlands. He received his military training under Prince Maurice of Orange-Nassau. He was a senior officer during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) - before 1635, serving on the Protestant side, after which he served in the imperial army. Louis Henry and his brother Albert inherited Nassau-Dillenburg in 1623 and ruled jointly as Counts, until Albert died in 1626 and Louis Henry became the sole ruler, becoming Prince in 1654. In 1616, he married Countess Catherine of Sayn-Wittgenstein (1588-1651) with whom he had five sons and eight daughters. In 1653 he married his second wife Wild- and Rhinegravine Elizabeth of Salm-Dhaun (1593-1656) with whom he had three sons. In 1656, he married his third wife, Sofie Magdalene of Nassau-Hadamar (1622-1658).

A signed and dated variant from 1665, with an extended composition on the right side and additional figures, was sold at Christie's, London, 19 February 1939, lot 27.