- 191
After Nicholas Hilliard
Estimate
3,000 - 4,000 GBP
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Description
- Nicholas Hilliard
- Portrait of a lady, probably Elizabeth Cooke, Lady Hoby and later Lady Russell (1528-1609), half-length, in a white dress, ruff and lace cap, with an ermine cloak, a bible in her left hand, in a painted oval
- inscribed upper centre: VIRTVTIS AMORE
- oil on canvas, in a painted oval
Provenance
Miss Catherine Wilbraham, by 1907;
Thence by descent to Roger Wilbraham, by 1957;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's South Kensington, 28 October 2009, lot 2 (as a portrait of Mary Queen of Scots, After Nicholas Hilliard, circa 1700).
Thence by descent to Roger Wilbraham, by 1957;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's South Kensington, 28 October 2009, lot 2 (as a portrait of Mary Queen of Scots, After Nicholas Hilliard, circa 1700).
Literature
H.C.S., 'An unpublished portrait of Mary Queen of Scots', in The Burlington Magazine, no. LVII, vol. XII, December 1907, pp. 163-164, reproduced.
Condition
The canvas has been relined. The paint surface appears to be relatively clean. Ultra violet inspection reveals an uneven layer of varnish as well as retouching throughout the lighter tones. The overall condition of the painting is good. The painting is offered in a carved 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
After the miniature by Nicholas Hilliard in the collection of the Duke of Portland, Welbeck Abbey, Nottinghamshire.1 The inscription 'VIRTUTIS AMORE', has previously been interpreted as an anagram of 'Marie Stouart', but this portrait does not correspond with other likenesses of the Queen. The sitter, depicted in a bed of state, in fact closely resembles Elizabeth Cooke when compared, for example, with her portrait from the Circle of Robert Peake the Elder hanging at Bisham Abbey, Berkshire.
1. See R.W. Goulding, The Welbeck Abbey miniatures belonging to His Grace the Duke of Portland. A catalogue raisonné, Oxford 1916, pp. 58-59, cat. no. 8, reproduced plate I (as Mary Queen of Scots, probably by Nicholas Hilliard).