Portrait of a Gentleman C.1740; Circle of Enoch Seeman (C.1694-1745), Antique Oil on Canvas Painting

This portrait formed part of a collection of pictures of the Finch family, the Earls of Aylesford, at their impressive ancestral home, Packington Hall, Warwickshire. The Packington Estate has been in the hands of this family since 1560. Of particular note is the 18th century Pompeian Gallery which is said to be the finest and the most comprehensive Pompeian interior design scheme in Britain.

The Earls of Aylesford is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1714 for the lawyer and politician Heneage Finch, 1st Baron Guernsey. The current earl is Charles Heneage Finch-Knightley, 12th Earl of Aylesford (born 1947). He succeeded to the earldom in 2008.

The impressive Packington Hall stands in ground designed by the infamous landscaper Capability Brown, who remodelled the park circa 1750 (and is said to be one of his earliest major projects). The 5,000-acre Packington estate is the substantial southern element in a chain of centuries-old landed estates. The Pompeian Gallery was designed by Joseph Bonomi for the 4th Earl of Aylesford and was executed by French, Italian, and English craftsmen of the highest skill. Running the length of the five-bay south front it represents the fashion for rooms inspired by the excavated antiquities of Italy.

The Finch family, like most aristocratic families at the time, were great patrons of the arts. Many members had their likenesses immortalised in paint, such as Lady Elizabeth and Lady Henrietta Finch (by Charles Jervas (c.1675–1739) circa 1730), The Honourable William Finch (by Allan Ramsay (1713–1784) in 1744), and Heneage Finch, 2nd Earl of Aylesford (1683–1757) (by Thomas Hudson (1701–1779) in 1740). Our portrait is datable to circa 1740 based on the sitter’s attire and hairstyle.

The portrait is contained in a fine Kent style George II frame. The Kent or Palladian frame style takes its name from William Kent (1685-1748) who was an architect, landscape architect, painter and furniture designer. During a tour of Northern Italy Kent was inspired by the architecture of Andrea Palladio, and such he revived the Palladian style of architecture in England, which also influenced his design for furniture. Amongst his designs include Chiswick House (1729), Hampton Court Palace (1732), Holkham Hall and Houghton.

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 alleged that Seeman charged 20 guineas for a full-length portrait in 1732.

Provenance: Earls of Aylesford, at their ancestral home, Packington Hall, Warwickshire

Measurements: Height 95cm, Width 83cm framed (Height 37.5”, Width 32.5” framed)

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