Portrait of a Gentleman, William Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset (1652-1671) C.1658/60; Studio of Sir Peter Lely (1618-1680), Antique Oil on Canvas Painting

This exquisite portrait, datable to crica 1658-60, depicts William Seymour, Duke of Somerset, Marquis of Hertford, Viscount Beauchamp, and Baron Seymour. He was the son of Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp and Mary Capell, sister of the 1st Earl of Essex.

The portrait was painted in the studio of the court painter, Sir Peter Lely. Standing in a porch with classical architecture, resting one arm on a plinth whilst the other holds a pike, he is shown with the grandiloquence characteristic of a nobleman. The Roman attire was often used in portraits at this time to provide a sense of timelessness as rapid changes in fashion quickly made portraits appear outdated. The attire, the classical architecture, and the moody sky evokes an Arcadian setting; contemporary audiences were educated and familiar with Latin and Greek poetry and the mere inclusion of such motifs were immediately recognised.

Duke of Somerset, from the county of Somerset, is a title that has been created five times. It is particularly associated with two families: the Beauforts (creation of 1448) and the Seymours (creation of 1547) who were descendants of Edward III (1312-1377) and resided at Wulfhall from 1427, the childhood home of Henry VII’s third wife, Jane Seymour, made famous by Hilary Mantel’s historical novel, “Wolf Hall”. Inscribed lower right with the identity of the sitter.

Another studio version is in the collection at Longleat House. It was common for several versions of a portrait (by the same hand or another) to be commissioned for different homes, as gifts to children or friends, or descendants wishing to show their noble lineage – both at the time and later in the 18th century. A portrait of “The Duke of Somerset” was sold in 1682 in Lely’s estate sale after his death described as: ‘Copies after Sir Peter Lely, left in his House at his decease, to be Sold with the rest'.

The work is presented in a very impressive and unusual carved antique frame – a fine work of art in itself.

Sir Peter Lely’s character and art dominated the art world of the second half of the seventeenth century in England. Everyone of consequence in his age sat to him, and it is in his portraits that we form our conception of English portraiture during the Protectorate and years following the Restoration.

He was born in Soest, Westphalia in 1618. He studied in Haarlem before moving to London in 1641, and in 1647 he became a freeman of the Painter-Stainers’ Company. 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. By the end of the Commonwealth, he had become the best-known portraitist in England and in 1661 he was appointed Principal Painter to the King. He painted the most elite and influential members of the court and of everyone of importance. His success thus meant that he established the basic English portrait style for decades.

By the end of his life he had assembled one the finest non-princely collections in Europe including more than 25 of Van Dyke’s major English works, Old Masters including Veronese, Titian, Claude Lorrain and Rubens, and a fabulous collection of drawings.

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