After Hans Holbein

Probably acquired by Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1609-1674), for his gallery at Clarendon House, London;
by descent to his son, Henry Hyde, 2^nd Earl of Clarendon (1638-1709), at Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire;
by descent, at Cornbury, and later The Grove, Hertfordshire, to his nephew, Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Rochester and later 4th Earl of Clarendon (1672-1753);
transferred to his son, Henry Hyde, 5^th Baron Hyde and Viscount Cornbury (1710-1753), in 1749, who died without issue;
by descent to his niece, Charlotte (d.1790), eldest daughter of William Capell, 3rd Earl of Essex (1697-1743), who married Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1709-1786), of the second creation;
thence by descent to the present owner

Plymouth, City Museum and Art Gallery, Paintings in the Clarendon Collection, 1954, no. 2;
Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, on long term loan until 2010

G. P. Harding, List of Portraits, Pictures in Various Mansions in the United Kingdom, unpublished MS 1804, Vol. II, p. 211;
Lady T. Lewis, Lives of the Friends and Contemporaries of Lord Chancellor Clarendon, London 1852, Vol. III, no.1, pp. 254 and 263-265;
R. Strong, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits, London 1969, pp. 323-324;
R. Gibson, Catalogue of Portraits in the Collection of the Earl of Clarendon, Wallop 1977, no. 142, pp. 127-128

STRUCTURE The panel is in good condition, with no cradling or structural support. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition, with no loss or damage. There are some minor frame abrasions the lower left. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals one small area of retouching to old damage in the sitter's cheek, and one small area in his hat. There is a slightly opaque varnish overall. FRAME Held in a carved and gilded wooden frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Warham, who was Master of the Rolls under Henry VII, was created Lord Chancellor and Archbishop of Canterbury in 1504. Five years later he married and then crowned Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, and was one of the leading advisers to the King until his retirement in 1515. The present painting is probably an early seventeenth century copy after Holbein's second version of the portrait now in the Louvre. The prime painting, which was sent to Erasmus, is now lost, though Holbein's drawing for the picture survives (Royal Collection). Warham was one of Holbein's first English sitters, and sat to the artist soon after he arrived in England in 1527. The prayer book in the lower right is shown open at the Litany of the Saints.