Isherwood Fine Art Ltd

Portrait of a young boy, full-length in a blue velvet coat and breeches, standing on a stone terrace in a garden landscape, playing with a spinning top. Signed and dated ' Phil. Merc...

Portrait of a Lady, traditionally believed to be Bridget Bertie (1629-1703/4), the Duchess of Leeds, three quarter length, wearing an amber coloured silk gown, with an embroidered bl...

A late 19th century bronze figure of a dog playing with a ball on a naturalistic base. Nice dark rich brown patina with slightly lighter rubbed area to lower side of base. Signed 'Wa...

Portrait of a lady attributed to William Wissing, half-length, wearing a pearl necklace and an amber gown adorned with jewels to the bodice and sleeves, wit...

Miss Ada Gossett, circa 1673, half-length in a landscape at dusk, wearing an amber silk gown adorned with a gold trimmed gauze shawl and fine jewels, wearing a pearl necklace, her fa...

An 18th century painting of a family group (otherwise known as a ‘conversation piece’) gathered around a table, an open door to the garden beyond. The father seated, with his son standing by his side, the mother seated, playing with a child on her lap, with another lady, possibly a maid standing behind, a Culpeper microscope...

A late 19th century bronze figure of a greyhound, his front leg raised and head turned backwards as he grooms his coat. A finely detailed figure with a dark brown patina, mounted on ...

A late 19th century bronze of a hound, seated on a naturalistic base, after Prince Paul Troubetzkoy. Incised to base 'Paolo Troubetzkoy 1893', with a dark brown patina. Born in 1866...

An early 18th century portrait of a young lady, half length, wearing a blue silk gown with white chemise and gold trimmed cloak draped across her arm and shoulders. Her sensitively observed soft expression and skilfully painted youthful 'dewy' complexion are reminiscent of the portrait style of John Closterman whose work Murray would have been familiar with, being a close colleague of Murray's teacher, John Riley. An old label on the reverse identifies the sitter as a young Princess Charlotte...

The painting depicts James (Jacques) Dalbiac, his wife Louise (ne de la Porte) and their five children, James, Charles, Louise, Marianne and Martha in the ornamental gardens of a grand country estate. The extensive gardens extend into the distance with gardeners working in the background and figures strolling through the avenues of trees. A peacock and peahen can be seen on the wall to the left and a potted orange tree to the right. Louise Dalbiac holds an orange taken from the orange tree, aluding to the family's faith and their loyalty to the protestant King William of Orange and their adopted country. The Dalbiacs were wealthy London silk and velvet merchants of French Huguenot origin who had fled France at the end of the 17th century to escape persecution for their protestant faith. England offered safe refuge and their skills and industriousness allowed them to establish one of the most successful businesses in London's Spitalfields which became a new centre of the silk trade, effectively leading to the collapse of the once dominant French silk industry. Both sons, James and Charles followed their father and Uncle into the family business, successfully growing the family's fortune and each going on to own their own country estates. A conversation piece is a genre of painting used to describe group portraits of families and friends, often depicted with their servants and family pets and set within an elegantly furnished interior or the garden of a grand country house. They were a celebration of the intimacy of family relations as well as a sign of status, property and the power of succession. The informality of conversation pieces grew popular in 18th century England, allowing the sitters to present themselves in a more relaxed pose, perhaps engaged in intellectual conversation or showing their talents or interests. In this present portrait, the Dalbiacs are shown richly dressed and and at leisure in a grand country house setting, conveying their success and cultural and social aspirations. Charles Philips (c.1703–1747) was an English artist known for painting a number of portraits and conversation pieces for noble and Royal patrons in the mid-eighteenth century. He was the son of portrait painter Richard Philips...

Portrait of Henrietta Pelham-Holles (née Godolphin) (1701-1776), Duchess of Newcastle, standing in a wooded landscape with a river beyond, three-quarter length wearing an ivory silk ...

A large late 19th century bronze figure of a recumbent greyhound after French animalier sculptor Christophe Fratin (1801-1864), with a warm brown patina on a rouge griotte marble base. Signed 'FRATIN' on collar. Bronze length: 37cm Base length: 41cm Bronze height: 18cm Total height: 22cm Christophe Fratin was born in Metz in France in 1801. He first studied sculpture under Pioche in Metz under whom he honed his technical skills. He then became a pupil of the painter Theodore Gericault in Paris where he pursued his career as a sculptor. Fratin first exhibited at the Paris Salon as early as 1831, where he showed ‘Fermer – An English Thoroughbred’. The popularity of Fratin’s sculpture in England had a significant impact on his career. His modelling style reflected his imaginative mind and sense of humour, particularly in his humorous modelling of bears. Fratin was asked to sculpt life-size monuments for French cities, including his home town of Metz. At the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London he was considered the greatest animalier sculptor of the day. Fratin’s bronzes...