How do I identify a seventeenth century portrait?

Seventeenth-century portraits typically feature rigid postures, dark backgrounds, and elaborate lace collars or structured period costumes. Artists of this era focused heavily on status markers such as books or heraldic symbols. Examination of the canvas weave, stretcher construction, and pigment analysis often supports the stated seventeenth-century origin of the work.

What subjects appear in these paintings?

Subjects include nobility, monarchs like King William III, military figures, literary figures, and notable regional citizens. Many sitters are identified by name, profession, or title within the accompanying documentation. Portraits occasionally depict specific occupational tools, such as veterinary instruments, indicating the sitter's trade or social standing.

Are these works painted on wood or canvas?

The works employ both oil on canvas and wood panels, particularly for earlier pieces from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Later nineteenth-century pieces frequently utilise canvas or paper supports. The choice of support generally aligns with the prevailing materials of the artist's working period.

How should I display a giltwood frame?

Giltwood frames require stable indoor humidity and temperature conditions to prevent the wood from warping and the gold leaf from flaking. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight or near active heat sources. Dusting should be performed gently with a soft, dry brush without applying liquid cleaners to the gilded surfaces.