Old Masters More Art

These lavish portraits, presented by Titan Fine Art, illustrate the elegant and exuberant type of portrait that the French court and the bourgeoisie favoured at the end of the 17th century. Painted circa 1700, they combine a meticulous representation of the subject's face and rich detailed draperies. They are a mastery of colour and of a style perfected by the prestigious painter and Director of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture in Paris, Nicolas de Largilliere. France during this period was the leading exponent of fashion and the arts to the rest of Europe and the fashions arose from the French court itself – and this is evident in the clothing on display in these portraits. The gentleman has been depicted in a russet coat with golden thread embroidery, a white lace cravat, and a rich crimson velvet mantle, that has been deliberately turned over at the top to reveal its purple shot silk lining. The young beautiful lady, whose face is painted with a clear and fresh palette, wears a dress with golden embroidery on the bodice and a huge black diamond brooch, large balloon-like gathered sleeves with lace and tied with a string of pearls, and a luxurious azure blue velvet mantle, tied at the shoulder with a pearl and large diamond brooch, again, deliberately folded to reveal its real gold embroidered lining. Her cheeks are rosy, with red lips: a style in keeping with that was worn at Versailles. The copious number of expensive fabrics, that completely encircle them, serve to underline their social status. The skilful works, with their beautiful colour combinations, create a strong visual impact. The artist demonstrates great skill in the rendering of sumptuous fabrics, the use of vibrant colours, and the realism of the faces. The couple are most likely married, considering the conventions of portraiture at the time, where the male is positioned on the left (and inclined to our right) and the female is positioned on the right (and included to our left). A feature of these portraits are the stunning original carved and gilded frames – they are works of art in their own right. Nicolas de Largillierre was baptised in Paris in 1656. His family relocated to Antwerp when he was approximately three years old. After a journey to London, Largillière's father arranged for him to apprentice with the Flemish artist Anton Goubau. Nevertheless, he departed at the age of eighteen and returned to England, where he formed a friendship and was employed by Sir Peter Lely for four years in Windsor, Berkshire. During this period, Largillière also worked under the guidance of the Italian painter Antonio Verrio. His artwork garnered the interest of Charles II, who desired to keep Largillière in his service; however, he eventually returned to Paris, where he was warmly embraced by the public as a painter. Upon his ascension to the throne in 1685, James II summoned Largillière back to England and offered him the position of keeper of the royal collections. He subsequently painted portraits of the king, Queen Mary of Modena...

Ornate Picture Frame Italian, mid 20th century overall frame size: 30 x 22 inches inner frame size : 19 x 15.5 inches Provenance: private collection, France Condition: minor surface ...

This exquisite portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, depicts King William III, when he was Prince of Orange. The military-minded William III is portrayed as the archetypal commande...

Portrait of Mary of Modena (1658-1718) when Duchess of York c.1675-80 Studio of Sir Peter Lely (1618-80) Presented by Titan Fine Art This attractive po...

A feature of this exquisitely rendered oil on panel portrait, presented by Titan FIne Art, is its remarkable seventeenth century carved auricular / Sunderland frame...

This exquisite portrait, presented by Titan Fine Art, is by Michael Dahl; it was part of the extensive collection owned by Thomas Wyndham of Clearwell Court in Gloucestershire. It ma...

Portrait of a Gentleman in Armour beside a Table with Helmut c.1685 Follower or circle of Johann Kerseboom (d.1708) This exquisite Grand Manner work, presented by Titan Fine Art, wa...

This exquisite Grand Manner work, presented by Titan Fine Art, was painted circa 1693 and formed part the Legh family collection at their magnificent home, Adlington Hall. Adlington was built on the site of a Saxon hunting-lodge and became the home of the Legh family during the reign of Edward Il, thus cementing the family's custodianship of Adlington for the next 700 years. Our portrait can be seen hanging in the Drawing Room in a photograph taken by Country Life magazine in 1905 (see photo). Through this portrait, collectors have a chance to acquire an evocative vestige from a glittering aristocratic way of life that is fast disappearing. It is a good example of portraiture of aristocratic and wealthy women in England during the last quarter of the seventeenth century. Beautifully composed, the sitter is seated in a woodland with a rocky outcrop and a sky just visible through the trees. This arcadian setting draws from the tradition of pastoral literature where life in the country was perceived as peaceful, contemplative, free of worry, and a time to pursue pleasure. By the early seventeenth century, Arcadia was already a popular theme in art and all educated individuals were familiar with Latin and Greek pastoral poetry. As such, the topic was so ingrained in society that, contemporary audiences would have instantly recognised its meaning when viewing this portrait. The sitter was born Lady Isabella Robartes in 1674. She was the daughter of The Honorable Robert Robartes, Lord Viscount Bodmin (1634-82) who was an English politician and ambassador to Denmark. The Robartes were a Cornish family who resided in Truro for many generations and had acquired great wealth through trading in wool and tin in Tudor times. Robert’s father had suffered considerable losses during the war as his house in Cornwall was occupied by the royalists, his estates were assigned to Sir Richard Grenville, and Robert and his siblings were detained as prisoners with the king. Upon the premature death of Lady Isabella’s father, her mother was later granted the use of the title Countess of Radnor, as she would have been had her husband survived. On 18 July 1693 Lady Robartes married John Legh of Adlington Hall (1688-1739] who was a colonel of militia, and sheriff of the county in 1705. The couple had three children, Elizabeth (c.1694-burried Westminter Abbey 1734), Lucy Frances Legh (1695-1728), and Charles Legh (1697-1781), Charles succeeded his father in 1739. Charles was a friend of the composer Handel who composed the Musical ‘Blacksmith’ whilst on a visit to Adlington. The sitter died in 1725. The ancient family of Legh stand high amongst the distinguished lines of Englishmen anciently established in Cheshire which has been called by one old writer “the mother and nurse of gentility”. The Legh family were already an established family in Cheshire having been granted many estates by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest in 1066, from John de Legh and Ellen de Corona stem the numerous branches of the family including the Leghs of Lyme and the Leighs of Stoneleigh - both created prominent houses which still exist today. In 1596 Sir Urian Legh joined the earl of Essex in Elizabeth I’s expedition against the Spaniards and having taken a leading part in the siege of Cadiz, received the honour of knighthood on the field. Adlington in Cheshire is one of that county’s oldest landholdings. Tradition has it that the roof of the famed Great Hall is supported my two pillars hewn from oak trees which still have their roots planted in the Cheshire soil beneath. Set within its sprawling estate, it has a rich history spanning over 700 years and is a reflection of the changing social, architectural, and political landscapes of England. Adlington is mentioned in the Domesday survey as Edulvinstane, which was owned before the Conquest by the Saxon Earl Edwin and then by Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester and nephew of William the Conqueror. On Lupus’s death, the manor reverted to the Crown and, early in the 13th century, was granted to the Norman family of de Corona. The last member of the family to own it, having no heir, gave the manor to his sister, Ellen, and her husband, John de Legh and has been the seat of the Legh family since 1315. The great hall rises uninterruptedly from floor to roof, and has a minstrel's and a lady's gallery opening into it. It is 45’ long, 26’ wide, and about 25’ heigh. The open hammer-beamed roof is richly panelled and each panel is adorned with an armorial shield. The heraldic insignia of the seven Norman earls of Chester, and of their eight barons, are displayed in the first three rows. During the Civil War the Legh’s, like so many of the Cheshire gentry, embraced the side of Charles, and fought his battles zealously. Adlington being garrisoned for the king, the moat was put to its proper defensive use when the estate was besieged by parliamentary forces, but they held out bravely for a fortnight, but eventually forced to surrender. The toll this period took on the collection is still evident in a double portrait of Thomas Legh the Elder and his wife Anne Gobarte which was defaced by sword-slashes made by billeted parliamentarians – and bullet holes in three or four places in the massive oak door to the Hall. Six miles nearby is the ‘lordly house of Lyme,” which carries back the mind to the days of chivalry, for it was in recognition of services in the wars with France that the domain was bestowed upon Sir Piers Legh, a younger son of the house of Adlington. This branch of the family was seated there for 600 years until 1946. Inscribed on the canvas verso: “The Rt Hon. Lady Isabella Legh, Sister to Charles Earl of Radnor, Wife of John Legh of Adlington Esq. Sr G. Kneller”. The elegant modelling of the hands and arms, the slight turn of the head, and the lock of hair trailing down her neck help to imbue the portrait with a sense of elegance and sophistication. This type of portrait was often used by Kneller and his contemporaries as an archetypal example of what wealthy patrons in England wanted - and these portraits lined the walls of many great halls in stately manors throughout the Britain. From a technical point of view, Kneller’s technique of painting on a blue ground and allowing passages of it to be visible in order to suggest darker flesh tones is evident. Held in its original gilded period frame. Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723) was one of the most prominent portrait painters in England at the end of the seventeenth century. He painted seven British monarchs (Charles II, James II, William III, Mary II, Anne, George I and George II) and in 1715 was the first artist to be made a Baronet (the next was John Everett Millais in 1885). He was born in Germany but trained in Amsterdam and studied in Italy before moving to England in 1676. Towards the end of the century, after the deaths of Peter Lely and John Riley, Kneller became the leading portrait painter in Britain and the court painter to English and British monarchs from Charles II to George I. He dominated English art for more than thirty years. His over 40 "Kit-cat portraits" and the ten "beauties" of the court of William III are most noteworthy. He ran a large, busy and successful studio in London and employed many assistants thereby establishing a routine that enabled a great number of works to be produced. His name became synonymous with British portraiture at the time and he rose to great notoriety; and there were countless other artists that strove to emulate his style. He died of a fever in London in 1723 and a memorial was erected in Westminster Abbey. In Kneller’s will he left 500 unfinished pictures to his chief assistant Edward Byng (c.1676-1753) who in Kneller’s words had "for many years faithfully served me". Byng lived with him at a house in Great Queen Street. Kneller gave him a pension of £100 a year, and entrusted him to complete these pictures, for which he was to receive the payments for them. Kneller had been paid only by half for these; whether his clients were not as expeditious to pay as they were to sit or whether Kneller’s death came first, the reason being unknown. Byng also inherited drawings in Kneller's studio, many now in the British Museum. He later lived at Potterne, near Devizes, where he died in 1753 and was buried. His brother Robert was also a painter and many works have been jointly attributed to both brothers. According to Edward’s will his estate was divided after his sister Elizabeth's death between his nephew’s William Wray, Robert Bateman Wray and Charles Wray (not, as some have suggested, to Robert Bateman Wray and his sister Mary). Provenance: Probably commissioned by the sitter's husband, John Legh, and thence by decent at Adlington Hall for approximately 330 years Literature: 'Adlington Hall, Cheshire: The Seat of Mr. A.M.R. Legh', Country Life, 29 July 1905, p. 130, 'The Drawing-Room'; Country Life, Nov 28, Dec 5, and Dec 12, 1952; G. Nares, 'Adlington Hall, Cheshire - III: The home of Mrs. Legh', Country Life, 12 December 1952, p. 1960, fig. 2 'The mid-Georgian staircase...

Portrait of a Lady with Scarlet Dress, Lace Collar, and Pearl Jewellery c.1620 By Claude Deruet (1588–1660) Oil on panel This charming jewel-like portrait, presented by Titan Fine A...

This exquisite Grand Manner work, presented by Titan Fine Art, is an evocative example of the type of portrait in vogue during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Beautifully ...

Portrait of Lady Elizabeth Bertie nee Willoughby (1673-1715) Inscribed 1692 Attributed to Jan van der Vaart (c.1647-1727) This elegant work, presented by Titan Fine Art, formed part...

Portrait of Frances, Viscountess Scudamore in a Silver Dress and Blue Cloak c.1709-1719 By Charles Jervas (1675-1739) This elegant and graceful portrait, presented by Titan Fine Ar...