17th Century Portrait of Frances Lady Whitmore; Circle of Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680), Antique Oil on Canvas Painting

This exquisite portrait, painted during the seventeenth century, depicts Frances Brooke, Lady Whitmore, three-quarter length and seated in a woodland - it is an excellent example of English Baroque portraiture. The work was in the collection of Lieutenant-Colonel Godfrey Fitzhugh who was a descendant of the sitter at his magnificent family mansion, Plas Power Hall in Wales, and is held in an outstanding carved giltwood frame with undulating sprays of bay leaves & berries, oak leaves and acorns, with roses, interrupted by acanthus leaf corners – an exquisite work of art in itself.

The sitter was born Frances, Lady Brooke, a daughter of Sir William Brooke. She was known as a great beauty at the Restoration court. The beautiful Brooke sisters, Frances and Elizabeth, were brought to London and taken to Court at an early age by their uncle Digby, Earl of Bristol in hope that one or both would capture the attention of the versatile Charles. Our sitter, Frances, escaped the temptations of the Court by espousing Sir Thomas Whitmore of Bridgnorth (c.1642-1682) sometime before 1665 and the couple had three daughters, one of whom (Frances) was also a great beauty and married Sir Richard Myddelton 3rd Baronet of Chirk Castle. Sir Thomas died in 1682 and was buried at St. Pauls Cathedral, London. Lady Whitmore later married Mathew Harvey, Esquire of Twickenham (c.1639-1693); his uncle was the great physician who discovered the secret of the circulation of blood. Lady Frances died 15 May 1690 and was buried at Twickenham.

The inspiration for this portrait was a painting which forms part of a series of eleven portraits known as The Windsor Beauties painted by Sir Peter Lely and his workshop early to mid-1660s. The series depict important ladies of the court of King Charles II – courtesans, nobility, and one Maid of Honour. Originally commissioned, or assembled, by Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, they were transferred to Hampton Court before 1835 where they were still on display as of 2022. The notoriety of these woman was such that there was a great demand for their portrait, and Lely’s series were the subject of many replicas, both period and later. Our portrait is one such example and would have been painted during the lifetime of the sitter.

Our portrait was in the collection of Lieutenant-Colonel Godfrey Fitzhugh, Plas Power Hall near Wrexham, whose estate was established in 1620. By 1733 it was sold to Mary Myddelton of Chirk Castle, who was the daughter of the sitter in our portrait. The estate and as such, our picture, descended through the family for several generations to Col. Godfrey Edmund Fitzhugh (1905-1985).

Our portrait, along with at least three other family portraits, were at Plas Power by 1906 (including portraits of our sitter’s three daughters by Godfrey Kneller).

Peter Lely was born in Germany in 1618. He studied in Haarlem before moving to London in 1641. He was employed by the Duke of Northumberland, who had the royal children in his care, and he was able to study the Northumberland Collection of works by Van Dyke and Dobson. He eventually become the best-known portraitist in England, painting the most elite and influencial members of the court - and Principal Painter to the King. Lely established the basic English portrait style for decades and by the end of his life assembled one the finest non-princely collections in Europe.

Provenance:

[Possibly] By descent in the family of Frances, Lady Myddleton, Chirk Castle (the sitter's daughter until the 20th century);

Lieutenant-Colonel Godfrey Fitzhugh, Plas Power, Wrexham;

With Frost and Reed, 1953;

Private UK collection since at least 1974

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