Two (2) Portraits of a Gentleman and Lady C.1690s; Attributed to John Closterman (1660-C.1711)

These fine works of a gentleman and a lady are representative of the archetypal English portrait. In the late 17th century England’s upper classes entered a new era of prosperity. No longer the preserve of royalty, commissioned portraits - of oneself or one’s ancestors - became a coveted symbol of wealth and status. As such portraiture in England developed a distinctive ‘Englishness’ which was a break away from the traditional and dominant schools in France and Italy. These portraits are good examples of this restrained but yet engaging portrait style.

The gentleman has been elegantly portrayed with a scarlet mantle, the colour of distinction, and an immensely expensive wig; the flamboyance and penetrating sense of character seems almost eclipsed by the skilful handling of paint through the face and the full-bottomed periwig. It is without doubt that the subjects are husband and wife – and the portraits were probably commissioned to celebrate their betrothal.

Held in the remarkable fine carved and giltwood 17th century frames - of excellent quality and condition.

John Closterman (1660-c.1711) developed a strong reputation as one of London's leading portraitists in the late 17th century, depicting royalty, nobility and key society figures of the period. Closterman was a leader in the race to be London’s leading society portraitist and the sitters would have been acquainted with his talent. He is one of the most inventive of the northern European artists who flourished in England at the end of the seventeenth century. He was born in Osnabrück (now in Lower Saxony), his father was an artist in Osnabruck, and Closterman was initially taught by him). His work reflects the French Baroque due to his experience painting in the studio of Francois de Troy, where he spent some time in 1679, and he brought to London two years later an exceptionally luxurious inventiveness which was responsible for some of the remarkable portraits of the period. He spent a couple of years as drapery painter in partnership with John Riley, later completing several of Rileys’ works after his death - this practice hardly prepared the English for the richness of his own work. By the middle of the decade he had set up independently, and was working for well-to-do and often distinguished professional people; but he quickly progressed to a more patrician clientele, including the Catholic Duke of Somerset. He bought and sold some works of art, some of which he acquired in the course of two visits to Italy.

In 1696 Closterman was invited to the court of Spain and he went to Marid in company with James Stanhope (later 1st Earl Stanhope) and the 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury. While there he was asked to paint the King and Queen.

The hauteur and entitlement that Closterman captures was a perfect fit between aristocratic sitter and artist and his sense of theatre and his mastery of colour – the brilliance of the wig and the sheen of scarlet drapery – explains his appeal to a broad clientele, from magnates like the Duke of Somerset and Marlborough to Sir Christopher Wren, the notable personalities of the age. Closterman died in 1711 and was buried in Covent Garden churchyard, London.

Provenance: From a Hertfordshire country house

Measurements: Height 96cm, Width 84cm framed (Height 37.75”, Width 33” framed)

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