STUDIO OF SIR ANTHONY VAN DYCK | PORTRAIT OF JAMES STUART (1612 - 1655), FOURTH DUKE OF LENNOX AND FIRST DUKE OF RICHMOND, AS PARIS HOLDING AN APPLE, HALF-LENGTH

Frederick Hervey, 1st Marquess of Bristol (1769 - 1859), and by descent, Ickworth House, Bury Saint Edmunds;

By whom sold, The East Wing: Ickworth, Suffolk, Sotheby's, 12 June 1996, lot 439 (as After Anthony van Dyck), to Agnew's;

From whom acquired (as Anthony van Dyck).

A.L.M. Séguier, 1819, no. 10;

L. Cust, Anthony van Dyck. An historical study of his Life and Woks, London 1900, p. 277, no. 121A;

Farrer, St. James's Square, 1913, no. 322, as hanging in the small drawing room;

E. Larsen, The Paintings of Anthony van Dyck, Freren 1988, vol. II, p. 504, no. A274 (as a replica of the original at the Louvre);

S. Barnes, N. De Poorter, O. Millar, and H. Vey, Van Dyck: A Complete Catalogue of the Paintings, New Haven 2004, p. 640, cat. IV.A33, reproduced (as one of two versions of the painting made in the studio during Van Dyck's lifetime);

London, British Institution, 1854, no. 20;

London, Royal Academy, Works by the Old Masters, 1875, no. 85;

London, Grosvenor Gallery, Exhibition of the Works of Sir Anthony van Dyck, 1887, no. 32;

London, Royal Academy, Exhibition of the Works of Sir Anthony van Dyck, 1890, no. 13;

London, Royal Academy, Works by the Old Masters, 1891, no. 125;

London, Royal Academy, Works by the Old Masters, 1900, no. 18.

This portrait of James Stuart is one of two versions made by Van Dyck and his studio; the other is at the Musée du Louvre, Paris. While Larsen described our painting as a replica of the Louvre portrait, Barnes et al. accepted both as the work of Van Dyck and his studio under his direction (see Literature). Lennox appears here in the guise of Paris, the shepherd from Greek mythology tasked with awarding the golden apple to the fairest goddess.

Lennox attended Trinity College, Dublin and traveled the continent before being appointed Gentleman of the Bedchamber in 1625, knighted in 1630, and becoming a Privy Councillor in 1633. He was a close friend of King Charles I and supported the Royalist cause, lending the King large sums of money on two occasions. He was created Duke of Richmond in 1641 and was commissioner for the defense of Oxford 1644 - 46. He married Mary, daughter of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham; their only son Esme died at age eleven.

Lennox sat for Van Dyck three times: the first portrait of Lennox and his dog, dated to 1633, is full length and commemorates Lennox's new status as Knight of the Garter (Metropolitan Museum, New York).¹ A second, horizontal portrait of circa 1636 depicts Lennox seated with his beloved greyhound again (Kenwood House).² The head and the top of his blouse with jeweled clasp were taken from the Kenwood portrait and reused for the present image. From the third sitting, Van Dyck painted a full-length portrait of Lennox in black (Earl of Leicester).³ Lennox's family was among Van Dyck's most important patrons; his siblings are also the subjects of celebrated portraits from Van Dyck's English period.

1. Oil on canvas, 215.9 by 127.6 cm. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the Marquand Collection, 89.15.16. See Barnes et al., cat. no. IV.200.

2. Oil on canvas, 99.7 by 160 cm. The Iveagh Bequest, Kenwood House, London. See Barnes et al., cat. no. IV.201.

3. Oil on canvas, 199.4 by 128.3 cm. The Earl of Leicester and the Trustees of the Holkham Estate, Norfolk. See Barnes et al., cat. no. IV.202.