The Unknown Follower of Hieronymus Custodis

Probably painted for, or acquired by, Gabriel Goodman (1529–1601), Dean of Westminster;

Gifted to the Warden, Christ’s Hospital, Ruthin, by 1601;

Their sale ('The Property of the Collegiate Church of St Peter, Ruthin, North Wales'), Nottingham, Mellors & Kirk, 10–11 February 2005, lot 770 (as English School);

Private collection, England.

G. K. Fortescue in Dictionary of National Biography, L. Stephen and S. Lee (eds), 22 vols., London 1908, vol. VII, p. 487;

J. Steegman, A Survey of Portraits in Welsh Houses, Vol. I, Houses in North Wales, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff 1957, p. 91.

On the basis of the coat-of-arms located in the upper left corner, the identity of the sitter can be confirmed as being Sir John Fortescue (c. 1531–1607), Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Privy Counsellor under Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. Fortescue wears a black doublet, white ruff, a high-crowned beaver hat and around his neck hangs a cameo jewel depicting Elizabeth I, showcasing his loyal support to the Crown. The portrait exemplifies the style of the Unknown Follower of Hieronymus Custodis, who worked between 1590 and 1612 and was first identified by Sir Roy Strong based on how his sitters encompass the same static poses as those of Hieronymus Custodis and the unique way in which the letter 'D' is written.¹ Hieronymous Custodis, active in London in about 1587, was a Protestant émigré from Antwerp, recognised by his two-dimensional format and limited palette. Although Custodis's death in 1593 brought an end to his production, the unknown follower is likely to have carried on his tradition, as suggested by this painting of Sir John Fortescue.

This portrait was probably painted for, or acquired by, Fortescue's friend Sir Gabriel Goodman (1529–1601), Dean of Westminster, and was likely gifted to the Warden of Christ’s Hospital, Ruthin. Goodman had purchased St Peter's Church and refounded the wardenship in connection with Christ's Hospital in 1589–90, overseeing the construction of almshouses for twelve people. After hanging in the Cloisters of St Peter's Church, Ruthin, for hundreds of years, the portrait was rediscovered by Thomas Fortescue, Lord Clermont (1815–1887) and a copy by the artist Sidney Hunt of the present portrait was commissioned in 1879. The copy would later be gifted to the Bodleian Library, originally founded by Sir Thomas Bodley (1545–1613), who happened to be a close friend of Sir John Fortescue, the latter having gifted books and manuscripts.²

¹ R. Strong, 'Elizabethan Painting: An Approach Through Inscriptions - II: Hieronimo Custodis' in The Burlington Magazine, March 1965, vol. 105, no. 720, pp. 103–8.

² Oil on canvas, 124.5 x 99 cm., Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, no. LP 60 (https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/sir-john-fortescue-15331607-228585).