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Portrait Of William Clavering-cowper, 2nd Earl Cowper C.1732; Circle Of Enoch Seeman (c.1694-1745)
Status:This item has been sold Sold by:Titan Fine Art
This striking portrait exudes great elegance and style. Sensitively painted and well observed it portrays the essence of the sitter’s amiable character. The subject is William Clavering-Cowper, 2nd Earl Cowper (1709-1764) - a British peer and courtier, Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, and Lord of the Bedchamber to George II. He was the eldest son of William Cowper, 1st Earl Cowper, and Mary Clavering and he succeeded his father in the earldom in 1723 at the tender age of just 14. He first married Lady Henrietta, daughter of Henry de Nassau d''Auverquerque, 1st Earl of Grantham, in 1732. Considering the age of the sitter when the portrait was painted and the attire it is plausible that the portrait was painted to mark this occasion.
In 1744 he was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, he held this post for the remainder of his life, and after Lady Henrietta’s death in 1747 he married Lady Georgiana Caroline, daughter of John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville (a cousin of King ...William III of England), in 1750. He was also godfather for George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer – a forebearer of Diana, Princess of Wales.
His son a was a Member of Parliament and as his heir he amassed a valuable art collection and became a Prince of the Holy Roman Empire having spent much of his time in Italy. Having petitioned King George III on more than one occasion for the Order of the Garter, he had ambitions to be the British representative in Florence and it is noted that he tried to increase his favour with the King by offering him Raphael’s self-portrait and his ‘Madonna and Child’ (which sold in 1928 for £175,000) for £2,500.
Enoch Seeman (born in Danzig c.1694) was a successful and popular artist with members of the British aristocracy. His father, his three brothers, his nephew, and his son were also painters. He was trained by his father who brought him as a boy to London from their previous home in Flanders in 1704 (Seeman is often considered to be an English painter). By 1708 he was creating remarkably good portraits whilst still only a teenager and by 1717 Enoch had established a very successful portrait practice in London. He became the British Royal Court painter and painted portraits of both George I and II amongst many other members of the British aristocracy. In 1723 Vertue remarked that ''''Enoch. for portrait Painting is in the greatest vogue… and his aristocratic and royal patronage makes him a rival to Charles Jervas.” He made such an impression on Society that he enjoyed a prolific career into the 1740s. It has been alledged that Seeman charged 20 guineas for a full length portrait in 1732.
Held in a very attractive high quality carved giltwood frame dating from the 18th century - a work of art in itself.
Much more info about this item at: www.titanfineart.com
In a market saturated with available paintings, Titan Fine Art offers a distinct advantage: we sift through thousands of works to provide a specially curated selection. Each piece is meticulously chosen based on technical merit, provenance, and decorative appeal, ensuring our clients view only the finest examples of British and European art.
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Antique ID Number (AIDN): SA507950
Dateline of this antique is 18th Century
Height is 100cm (39.4inches)Width is 86cm (33.9inches)Depth is 8cm (3.1inches)
Antique SA507950 shown on this page was made in the 18th Century. For historical context, the timeline below highlights the period when it was created:
←C18th
ANTIQUE SA507950
CONTACT DETAILS OF SELLER:
Titan Fine Art
Specialist in 17th & 18thC portraits. Highly curated selection, museum-level research & pro conservation. Exceptional art, expertly vetted.
London
United Kingdom
Tel: 07875 412 111
STATUS
THIS ITEM HAS BEEN SOLD
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