Bute Antiques - Sellingantiques.co.uk

Bute Antiques

Attributed to Dame Laura Knight.

This unsigned oil on board is attributed to Dame Laura Knight RA (4/8/1877 - 7/7/1970). This work is a view of a Cornish Street looking across to St Michael's Point, probably painted between 1907 and 1919 when the Knights' moved to the artist colony in Newlyn, Cornwall, painting along side other great artists such as Lamorna Birch, Alfred Munnings and Aleister Crowley, where she painted in an Impressionist style. Although unsigned there is an attribution on the reverse saying "painted by Laura Knight RA" (which would have been added after 1936, when she was made a member of the RA). The palette and the brush work are indicative of the artist. Measuring 18inches by 15inches including gold frame.

SOLD.....Portrait of a Young Lady c.1690. Attributed to Henry Tilson

Oil on canvas. This charming portrait has the amusing conceit of the sitter reaching out of the cartouche within which she is painted. She holds flowers, which signify youth, beauty, innocence and their fleeting nature. HENRY TILSON (1659-1695) was born to a minor gentry family. He was a pupil and later assistant to Sir Peter Lely (Principal Painter to the King). He then worked with Kneller; by 1690 he had established a successful practice in portraits in a style between Kneller and Riley, being known as 'a painter of great charm'. Tragically he committed suicide at the age of 36 after a love affair ended. His work can be seen in The British Museum; London Guildhall Art Gallery; The National Gallery of Ireland etc. PROVENANCE: Collection of Sir Elton John.

17th century painted chest attributed to William Searle/Thomas Dennis

An important 17th century, painted oak chest, attributed to William Searle or Thomas Dennis. With a triple panel front, the two outer panels carved with the lozenge design flanking the centre panel arcaded with rose and leaf. Still retaining much of the original polychromes in red and blue. In very good condition and fantastic colour. This is a true collectors piece. 56" wide 32" high 22" deep

SOLD.....Portrait of a Gentleman c. 1685; attributed to Mary Beale

Oil on canvas in good quality 17th c. carved and giltwood frame. The sitter is depicted within Mrs. Beale's 'trademark' sculpted stone oval; he regards the viewer with a rather haughty look. His wig is in the height of fashion as is his exquisite lace cravat. The armour he wears may merely be a symbol of wealth and status or it might reveal that he earned his living fighting in one of the many European wars of the time. Many aristocrats and members of the gentry who found themselves short of money took part in these campaigns as mercenaries. It was considered that military service was the only option for the impecunious well-bred; to enter Trade was to put oneself beyond the pale...social death. MARY BEALE (1633-99) was born Mary Cradock, daughter of the Rev. John Cradock in Suffolk; in 1651 she married Charles Beale, Lord of the Manor of Walton, and moved to London. She was already known as a painter by 1654 and she was strongly influenced by Sir Peter Lely, Principal Painter to the King and famous Court and Society portraitist. Lely was a friend of Mrs.Beale and she sometimes copied his work and frequently used his poses in her portraits. She often depicts a stone oval heavily sculpted with fruit or flowers. The sitter's eyes tend to be almond shaped and her colouring pure and rich. It was most unusual for a woman to take up a professional career as an artist at this time, but her studio thrived; her most active period was the 1670s and early '80s. Mary Beale died at Pall Mall and is buried in St. James's Church, Piccadilly. Her work is represented in many country house collections, art galleries and museums. SIZE: 37 x 31.5 inches inc. frame. PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Yorkshire.

SOLD....Portrait of Frances Lambert, Lady Middleton c.1690; Attributed Sir Godfrey Kneller.

Oil on canvas in modern gilt frame. A good quality portrait of the Court beauty Frances, Lady Middleton (c.1666-1694). A smaller version of this portrait is in the National Portrait Gallery Primary Collection (NPG 1761a. Given by Lord Weardale 1915). Frances Lambert was the daughter of John Lambert of Calton Hall, Calton, Yorkshire; she was the Lambert heiress, grand-daughter of Major-General John Lambert, the famous Civil War general. Frances was named after her grandmother. She married Sir John Middleton, 2nd Baronet, of Belsay Castle, Northumberland and thus the Lambert estates passed to the Middletons. Frances wears an 'undress' robe with no jewellery; she is depicted standing in a landscape and holds a rod which is probably a shepherd's crook. The reference is to the mythical realm of Arcady or Arcadia; a fashionable conceit of the time..a land where Love ruled and attractive young people wandered around a tamed landscape tending their perfectly groomed sheep... when they weren't writing poetry or playing flutes. Almost every lady of fashion was depicted as a shepherdess during this period. SIR GODFREY KNELLER (1646-1723) was the most distinguished painter of baroque portraits in England. Born in Lubeck, he trained with Bol and Rembrandt, coming to London in 1676. By 1679 he had painted the King and remained the most famous and successful portrait painter in England until his death. In 1688 he was made Principal Painter to the King and was knighted in 1692 and a made a baronet in 1715. His style had a profound influence on British portraiture and a large number of artists, some very talented in their own right, emulated his fashionable style. SIZE: 42 x 35.5 inches inc. frame PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Nottinghamshire.

SOLD....Portrait of Charles Pym Esquire c.1710; attributed to Sir Godfrey Kneller

Oil on canvas in good reproduction early 18th c. style frame. Inscribed uper left 'Charles Pym Esqr of St. Kitts. B. D.1740.' The sitter within a feigned oval. Charles Pym was a member of an ancient English family, first found in Somerset. Like Charles, other members of the family sought their fortunes overseas....Henry Pym settled in Barbados in 1688; Mary Pym in Virginia in 1673; Richard Pym in Barbados in 1687, and another Charles Pym who arrived in New England in 1715. The Charles Pym depicted here was a wealthy and important sugar plantation owner in St. Kitt's (also known then as St. Christopher's). In 1727 he was a significant figure in the Federated Colony of the Leeward Islands...St.Kitt's, Nevis, Antigua and Montserrat. He was a Member of the Council of Antigua in 1725/6 and 1727/8, and on 18 September 1733 a Member of the Council of Basseterre. Pym had a daughter, Priscilla, who inherited her father's considerable wealth on his death in 1740. A very eligible heiress, she married Lord Romney in August 1742. They had five children, of whom the first-born was named Charles, after his grandfather. These wealthy entrepreneurs with estates in the Caribbean often returned to England to have their portraits painted and Pym could certainly afford Kneller..the most fashionable artist of his time. Charles is shown with the well-fed self-satisfied look of the rich of the period. It will be noticed that depite living in the West Indies his skin is untanned; only peasants and outdoor workers were browned by the sun...it was regarded as very low class. SIR GODFREY KNELLER (1646 - 1723) was the most profound influence on late 17th and 18th c. portraiture. By 1679 he had painted the King and remained the most famous and successful portrait painter in England; in 1688 he was appointed Principal Painter to the King. SIZE: 36.5 x 31.75 inches inc. frame PROVENANCE: Suffolk private collection.

Portrait of a Gentleman c.1780, attributed to Francis Alleyne

Oil on oval canvas in Georgian carved wood frame. A charming small portrait of a young gentleman holding what is probably a riding crop. This is Alleyne's favourite size of canvas. FRANCIS ALLEYNE (working 1774 - 1790). Alleyne was an itinerant portrait painter visiting country houses mainly in the south-east of England. He specialised in small, oval three-quarter lengths; these are often highly sensitive and of considerable charm. Alleyne's portraits are often, but not always, signed on the back. This one is not. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1774 and at the Society of Artists in 1790. SIZE: 17.25 x 14.25 inches framed 15 x 12 inches canvas size. PROVENANCE: a private South-East England collection.

SOLD....Portrait of a Young Girl c.1680; attributed to Mary Beale

Oil on canvas in reproduction parcel gilt 'cassetta' frame. The attractive young sitter is depicted as a shepherdess in the mythical realm of Arcady (or Arcadia), a fashionable conceit of the times which also featured in the literature and poetry of the period. The girl holds a shepherd's crook of the Continental type; real shepherds would use the shaped end to scoop up and throw small stones to send the sheep in a chosen direction. The influence of the style of Sir Peter Lely, Mary's mentor and friend, is clearly seen. MARY BEALE (1633 - 1699). Born Mary Cradock in Suffolk where her father was rector of Barrow church. She married Charles Beale in 1651/2. At a time when a female professional artist was a rare thing Mary quickly built up a successful business painting mainly the middle classes. Known as a painter from 1654, her later work was strongly influenced by Sir Peter Lely, Painter to the King and immensely fashionable. Mary's most active period was in the 1670s and 80s. In many, but not all, of her bust portraits she affects a feigned stone oval surround. SIZE: framed 30 x 24.25 inches canvas size 23.75 x 17 75 inches. PROVENANCE: London Private Collection. Verso, a framer's label 'Sebastian d'Orsai (A.B.) Ltd.'

Portrait of Matthew Prior c. 1700; attributed to Sir Godfrey Kneller

Oil on canvas in fine 18th c. carved and giltwood frame. The sitter is thought to be Matthew Prior, poet and diplomat; the best known image of Prior shows slightly more aquiline features, but in the National Portrait Gallery are three images of Prior (NPG D3973, D19242 and 562) bearing a very strong facial resemblance to this sitter and wearing the same clothing. MATTHEW PRIOR (1664-1721). Prior's brilliance as a boy was noted by Lord Dorset who paid for the continuance of his education at Westminster. He took his B.A. in 1686, becoming a Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge two years later. He became famous for writing a satire on Dryden in collaboration with Charles Montagu, Earl of Halifax. After four years as Secretary to the Embassy in the Hague he was appointed one of the Gentlemen of the King's Bedchamber. The poet's knowledge of French assisted his move to Paris in attendance on the English Ambassador. Still writing highly successful poetry, on his return to England Prior became Under Secretary of State then a Commissioner of Trade. In 1701 he became M.P. for East Grinstead. After 1710 he was involved in many important negociations with the French Court...sometimes as Ambassador, sometimes as a secret agent. When the balance of power within the Government changed he was impeached and confined for two years. During his imprisonment he wrote prolifically and earned enough for him to live in comfort for the rest of his life. He is buried in Westminster Abbey. SIR GODFREY KNELLER (1646-1723) was the dominant Court and Society portraitist of his age. About the turn of the century Kneller's style starts to change. His handling of the paint became freer with a painterly delight in the use of the medium..a style shown to perfection in this portrait. Kneller was at his best painting creative sitters - a rapport was established. Here he dispenses with the fashionable wig and elaborate costume, and paints Prior in the clothing that was the preserve of men of the arts and sciences...the silk gown and soft velvet cap. The emphasis is on the sitter as an individual and the viewer's attention is directed to the face, with no distraction from background or accessories. Even the simple robe is depicted with a looseness of focus and a sophisticated technique of fluid brush strokes...reminding one that Kneller had studied under Rembrandt. With this technique one should perhaps remember Kneller's comment to those who peered closely at his portraits, "My paintings were not made for smelling of..." SIZE: 37x32 inches inc. frame Small areas of damage to the frame. PROVENANCE: an Edinburgh Private Collection.

SOLD.....Portrait of a Gentleman 1743 attributed to Moses Vanderbank

Oil on canvas in reproduction frame. A portrait of a gentleman, the canvas inscribed 'M V Pinxt 1743' (M V painted this in 1743). The subject has his right hand tucked into his coat; this was the accepted symbol of the sitter being a gentleman, who did not work for a living, rather than, for example, a prosperous merchant or lawyer. His left arm rests upon a plinth...this also is symbolic, signifying the architecture of a large house and estate. The man stands in a straight backed pose wearing a serious expression, this being considered the correct way for a gentleman of wealth and breeding to present himself to the world. This is a 'textbook example' of mid 18th c. British portraiture. Almost certainly this gentleman is the husband of the sitter in portrait 8410, 'Portrait of a Lady 1743; attributed to Moses Vanderbank'. The portrait is very much in the style of JOHN VANDERBANK (1694-1739), especially the rubbed highlights and the treatment of the flesh tones - where a hot pink and cool grey-green are juxtaposed to suggest glowing skin. These are Vanderbank's 'trademarks' and instantly recognisable. However, John died four years before this painting was created. I believe the answer is that the portrait is by his younger brother MOSES VANDERBANK (1695-after1745). He was a pupil of John's and has followed his brother's manner well. John nearly always signed and dated his portraits, it seems that Moses was influenced even by this. No other works by Moses have survived, apart from three altarpieces in the 12th c. church at Adel, near Leeds. Moses Vanderbank was even more improvident than his elder brother who was notorious for drunkenness and debt...it was said that only intemperance prevented John from being the best portraitist of his generation. Moses did not have a talent as great as his brother's, but, as can be seen here, he could produce a portrait of charm and competence. SIZE: 36 x 28 inches unframed PROVENANCE: an East Anglian Collection for many years.

Portrait of a Lady 1743; attributed to Moses Vanderbank

Oil on canvas in reproduction frame. An interesting portrait of a lady, the canvas inscribed 'M V Pinxt 1743' (M V painted this in 1743). The sitter holds a book and wears an ermine trimmed robe...the book signifies her literacy and intelligence, the ermine shows her status as a peeress and is a symbol of female virtue, and, curiously, is also the attribute of Touch personified, one of the Five Senses. The portrait is very much in the style of JOHN VANDERBANK (1694-1739), especially the rubbed highlights and the treatment of the flesh tones - where a hot pink and cool grey-green are juxtaposed to suggest glowing skin. These are Vanderbank's 'trademarks' and instantly recognisable. However, John died four years before this painting was created. I believe the answer is that the portrait is by his younger brother MOSES VANDERBANK (1695-after1745). He was a pupil of John's and has followed his brother's manner well. John nearly always signed and dated his portraits, it seems that Moses was influenced even by this. No other works by Moses have survived, apart from three altarpieces in the 12th c. church at Adel, near Leeds. Moses Vanderbank was even more improvident than his elder brother who was notorious for drunkenness and debt...it was said that only intemperance prevented John from being the best portraitist of his generation. Moses did not have a talent as great as his brother's, but, as can be seen here, he could produce a portrait of charm and competence. SIZE: 36 x 28 inches unframed PROVENANCE: an East Anglian Collection for many years.

SOLD....Portrait of a Gentleman c.1665; Attributed to Pieter Borssaelaer

Oil on canvas laid on board, unframed. A good quality painting typical of Borsselaer's work, his portraits always show a seriousness and concern for individual character. Here the sitter has been depicted with a thoughtful and melancholy expression intended to convey the idea that this man is sensitive and serious...a man who perhaps wrote poetry in his leisure hours (as many gentlemen did). This was a desirable and fashionable image at the period. To be thought of by one's peers as shallow..a mere fop.. was social death. He is expensively dressed 'a la mode' and his large costly wig also shows his status. All together, this is a portrait which tells a great deal about the social mores of the time, and in particular of the way this man liked to be perceived. PIETER BORSSELAER (active 1644-1687). A Dutch Roman Catholic, a portrait and history painter. He married at Goes in 1644 and was in England 1664-1679 before returning to Holland where he worked at The Hague and Middelburg. An example of his work is the Tate Gallery, London. SIZE: 36 x 28 inches PROVENANCE: a Somerset Private Collection for many years.

SOLD...Portrait of a Lady c.1680; attributed to Caspar Netscher

Oil on canvas in late 18th c. Continental part gilt frame. This 'portrait de cabinet' (a painting for a small intimate room known as a cabinet) is a characteristic example of the international baroque style of which Netscher was a prime proponent; it elegantly exemplifies the artist's interest in depicting the luxurious. The painting is as much a study of fine clothes and expensive textiles as it a portrayal of a lady. Netscher was particularly renowned for his skill in depicting white satin. The tactile and visual richness of the cloth is captured brilliantly, and seems to gleam with inviting realism contrasting with the fashionably pale skin of the sitter. The lady gracefully rests an arm on a costly rug and looks invitingly at the viewer, a bowl of roses to her left (white for spiritual love, red for carnal) and a park in the background. Her serene composure complements the luxury of her attire and surroundings, unifying in the painting with a sense of extravagent beauty. CASPAR NETSCHER(1639-84) was a Dutch portraitist of Holland's Golden Age of painting. In his early career at The Hague, where he settled in 1651, he also painted genre and religious scenes; but from c.1670 onwards he devoted himself exclusively to the portrait, often of Court members in The Hague, earning a considerable fortune. His reputation was so highly regarded that he was invited to England by King Charles II. Netscher worked elegantly and with a bit of French influence, exquisitely finished and influencing Dutch portraiture into the 18th century. SIZE: 32 x 22.5 inches inc. frame PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Surrey. Private Collection, Cheshire.

SOLD....Portrait of Jenny Myddelton (?) and her Spaniel c.1675: Attributed to Mary Beale

Oil on canvas in late 18th c. giltwood frame. This pleasing portrait of a young girl, thought to be Jenny Myddelton (1661-1740)shows the sitter and her dog in exactly the same pose (but reversed) as Sir Peter Lely had painted Mary of Modena, Duchess of York and later Queen of England. Jenny Myddelton's mother was Jane Needham, Mrs. Myddelton the famous Court beauty, mistress of the Duke of Montagu and later the Earl of Rochester. It was Jane's ambition that her daughter should ultimately become the mistress of Charles ll - an event which would have ensured titles, estates and wealth for her. The plan, however, came to nought and Jenny married Charles May, Equerry to Queen Mary. The King Charles spaniel was very fashionable and may be seen as a symbol of fidelity and as an affectionate reminder of Charles II (and more broadly of the Stuart monarchy). Its inclusion was probably intended as a reflection of the sitter's grace and her fashionable - and flattering - taste in pets. In the background (not shown well on the photographs) can be seen what seems to be a fantasy view of the Myddelton's castles - Chirk and Ruthin. Chirk is one of the great border castles built in the late 13th c. to maintain the conquests of Edward I in Wales. In 1595 it was purchased by an Elizabethan merchant adventurer, Thomas Myddelton, whose descendants have lived there since. The castle was the scene of two notable sieges during the Civil War - 1643 and 1659. The 'greate dyninge roome' of that period was made into a fashionable neo-classical saloon by Richard Myddelton in 1772 .As the portrait is in a frame of the 1770s it seems likely that it and the others were reframed to match, as was then the fashion. According to an inventory of the late 19th century, 27 portraits hung in this room. The label on the reverse of this painting identifies it as Number 11, though by that time the indentity of the sitter and artist had been forgotten. In the late 1970s Chirk was acquired by the National Trust, by which time this portrait had moved to the Myddelton's Private Wing where it remained until June 2004. MARY BEALE (1633-99) was born Mary Cradock, daughter of the Rev. John Cradock in Suffolk; in 1651 she married Charles Beale, Lord of the Manor of Walton, and moved to London. She was already known as a painter by 1654 and she was strongly influenced by Sir Peter Lely, Principal Painter to the King and famous Court and Society portraitist. Lely was a friend of Mrs.Beale and she sometimes copied his work and frequently used his poses in her portraits. It was most unusual for a woman to take up a professional career as an artist at this time, but her studio thrived; her most active period was the 1670s and early '80s. Mary Beale died at Pall Mall and is buried in St. James's Church, Piccadilly. Her work is represented in many country house collections, art galleries and museums. PROVENANCE: the Myddelton Family of Chirk Castle, Wrexham. Verso: 19th c. handwritten label:-'Saloon, No. 11. Little Girl and Dog - Sir Godfrey Kneller'.

SOLD....Portrait of a Gentleman c.1685; attributed to John Closterman

Oil on canvas in fine 17th c. carved and giltwood frame (almost certainly the original). An insightful portrait of a man of mature years, his eyes and features lively with intelligent good humour; a painting of great quality and charm. JOHN CLOSTERMAN (1660-1711) was born in Osnabruck, the son of an artist. His early training was from his father, but in 1679 he moved to Paris where for two years he studied under the portraitist Francois de Troy. In 1681 Closterman came to England and entered into partnership with the established portrait painter John Riley. By 1683 he had developed an independent practice; he was adept at baroque poses still with a slightly French influence, with rather flashily painted drapery - the floral velvet robe seen in this painting occurs in at least two other portraits painted at this time. His clients were mainly from the intellectual and professional middle classes, and included some of the leading writers, artists, musicians and physicians of the day. In the 1690's, as his reputation grew, he painted for more exalted and aristocratic patrons, like the Dukes of Somerset and Marlborough. He lived in great splendour in his house in Covent Garden with his wife Hannah. In 1699, after a visit to Rome, he fell under the spell of the Antique and painted his famous full length portraits of the Earl of Shaftesbury in Classical pose. Closterman's last documented portrait is 1704, and he devoted his last years to dealing in Old Master paintings. An exhibition of his work was held by the National Portrait Gallery in 1981 under the title of 'Master of the Baroque Portrait'. SIZE: 32.25 x 28.5 inches inc frame. PROVENANCE: with a Surrey family for many years.

Portrait of a Lady c.1628; attributed to Cornelis de Vos

Oil on oak panel in fine 18th c. carved and giltwood frame. A superb portrait typical of de Vos's style, the brushwork detailed, sensitive and rich in nuances, his colouring is ardent and full-bodied in the Flemish manner. His portraits glow with an air of prosperity and well-being. De Vos was well-known for dignified portraits which nevertheless maintain a charming modesty, as is seen here. The reserved expression of the sitter and meticulous handling of the costume details are characteristic. CORNELIS DE VOS (1585 - 1651) was admitted as a Master of the Antwerp Guild in 1606. In the early 17th century Antwerp was crowded with excellent painters. The art-loving wealthy merchants of the great trading city were able to employ a sizeable population of artists, who were also kept busy by the foreign demand for works of art from Antwerp. Cornelis de Vos became one of the most respected artists in the city, whilst also active as an art dealer. He worked with Rubens and Van Dyck, and his work has been mistaken for theirs, although his portraits are more closely dependent on the Flemish tradition than his celebrated Italianate colleagues. Essentially of the School of Rubens, de Vos's portraits developed an individual and successful style and Rubens sent many sitters to him. SIZE: 30 x 26 inc. frame. PROVENANCE: Verso: an old collection seal in red wax, probably 18th century. Private Collection, Cornwall. Boarsney House, Sussex.