Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
A charming portrait of the young Mary Finch (1690-1764). To her right are flowers symbolising her youth and the transience of life. She gathers more flowers within the lap of her dress, a token of future fertility.
Mary was the daughter of William Finch of Tenterden, Kent.
Mary died at Folkington, Sussex aged 74.
The Finches were a gentry family with aristocratic connections, related to the Finch Earls of Nottingham, Winchelsea and Aylesford.
SIZE: 37.25 x 32.5 x 2.25 inches including frame.
PROVENANCE: By family descent.
Verso, on the frame and canvas two wax seals bearing the coat of arms of the Finches, and a printed coat of arms of Richard Almack. Also a handwritten copperplate inscription giving the name of the sitter and other information.
A great deal of old handwritten information about the Finch family tree accompanies the portrait.
ROBERT BYNG (1666 - 1720) was born in Wiltshire, but is buried in Oxford where he died in 1720, having lived there since before 1714.
He was a pupil of, and very strongly influenced by, Sir Godfrey Kneller (Principal Painter to the King and the most distinguished Baroque portraitist in England).
Byng's earliest dated portraits are c.1697; one of his younger brothers, Edward, was drapery painter to Kneller and his principal assistant.
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
Roy and nadine precious: specialists in portraiture from the 16th to the 20th century. Established in 1972.
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Portrait of Mary Finch C. 1702; Attributed to Robert Byng.
