Attributed to Cornelius Johnson

Anonymous sale, London, London, 29th April 1932, lot 63 (bt. by Freeman for £30)

STRUCTURE The panel consists of three separate sections, to which there has been some minor splitting. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition. There has been some minor retouching to the background in the upper left, which has started to flake slightly. There is also a small scratch to the surface in the lower left and some minor early signs of flaking along the right hand edge, and in the extreme upper section of the panel. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals minor retouching to the panel joins in the upper half of the painting, as well as older scattered minor retouching overall. There is a discoloured varnish overall, with an uneven layer of surface dirt. FRAME Held in a carved painted and gilded wooden frame.
"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."

The sitter is believed to be the younger son of Henry Herbert, 2^nd Earl of Pembroke (d.1601) and his third wife Mary Sidney. A court favourite of James I, the affection which the King held him in was largely due to his skill in the hunting field. As John Aubrey wrote of Pembroke, "his lordship's chiefe delight was in hunting and hawking, both of which he had to the greatest perfection of any peer in the realm." A prominent participant in the court tournaments and masques, and passionate about both hunting and gambling, an interest he shared with the King, he was created Baron Herbert of Shurland, and 1^st Earl of Montgomery in May 1605. He carried the spurs at Charles I's coronation and succeeded his elder brother as Lord Chamberlain in 1626. Following the latter's death in 1630 he became 4^th Earl of Pembroke and was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Somerset, and Cornwall, as well as being elected to a number of other official posts, with a total annual income of £30,000.

Pembroke was a great patron of the arts, and such revenue enabled him to live in lavish style. He maintained a household of eighty in London, and another twice as large at his country seat at Wilton House. He implemented extensive building projects at Wilton, where he entertained the King and his court in lavish style. Though not a man of books or poetry he "exceedingly loved painting and building, in which he had singular judgment, and had the best collection of any peer in England." In later years Pembroke would become one of the greatest English patrons of van Dyck, by whom he was painted at least four times, including in the artists great group portrait of The Pembroke Family (Earl of Pembroke, Wilton House), and owned a large number of his works.

If the inscription is correct the present painting appears to relate to another portrait by Johnson of Pembroke's first wife, Susan, daughter of Edward Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, which is signed and dated 1623 (sold Sotheby's London, 11th July 1984). Both half length, on panel, and in matching painted ovals, it is possible that the two pictures were originally painted as a pair.