After Cornelius Johnson

Comissioned by Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1609-1674), for his gallery at Clarendon House, London; thence by descent until sold, London, Sotheby's, 9 December 2010, lot 243 (bt. by the present owner)

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition with an even thick layer of discoloured varnish overall. There are some very minor paint losses in the upper left and upper right hand corners caused by now stabilised flaking. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms the opacity of the varnish and reveals some minor scattered retouching mainly to the background. It also reveals retouching to an old horizontal repaired tear in the lower centre measuring approx. 6 cm. There is some further retouching to what appears to be an old diagonal abrasion along the sitter's forearm in the lower right. Other than that the paiting appears to be in good condition. FRAME Held in a giltwood 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."

EXHIBITED
London, British Institution, 1848, no. 91; 
Plymouth, City Museum and Art Gallery, Painting in the Clarendon Collection, 1954, no. 13;
Plymouth, CIty Museum and Art Gallery, on long term loan until 2010

LITERATURE
BM Add. MS 6391, ff 77 (The Grove, 1764, no. 18);
G. P. Harding, List of Portraits, Pictures in Various Mansions in the United Kingdom, unpublished MS 1804, Vol.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. 23, pp. 256 and 305-306;
D. Piper, Catalogue of Seventeenth-Century Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, Cambridge 1963, pp. 324-325;
R. Gibson, Catalogue of Portraits in the Collection of the Earl of Clarendon, Wallop 1977, no. 130, pp. 117-118

Spelman was a famous antiquary and historian, much respected by Clarendon and his contemporaries for his detailed collections of medieval records. The present painting is based on the prime portrait by Johnson of which a head and shoulders dated 1628 was last recorded by Vertue in the collection of the Earl of Hardwicke. Another version is also in the Royal Society collection.