After Sir Anthony van Dyck

Van Dyck painted the original Portrait of Charles I as a pendant to the portrait of Henrietta Maria, now in the Loyd Collection. The location of the King’s portrait is unknown.

From one Founding Family to Another: Before entering the Collection of a Founding Family from Connecticut, this painting was owned by the Gardiner family, whose name is synonymous with the history of Colonial New York. This portrait commemorates the storied heritage of the Gardiner family, as it was Charles I who bestowed the grant upon Lion Gardiner (1599-1663) to settle the 3,300 acre island between Long Island's North and South Fork after he purchased it from the Montaukett Indians in 1639. The proprietor was given the title “Lord” and the purview to make all necessary laws for the island. The property remains the oldest continuous royal grant in the New World and has been occupied by the Gardiner family for over 380 years.

The Gardiner family name has continuously made appearances in the annals of American history throughout subsequent generations. Lion’s daughter, Elizabeth, was the first English child born in what is now New York state, pirate Captain Kidd buried treasure in a ravine on the island during the third lord’s ownership in 1699, and Julia Gardiner, First Lady to the tenth U.S. President John Tyler, hails from the venerable lineage. Although Gardiner’s Island was formerly brought under the jurisdiction of East Hampton following the American Revolution, even the late owner, Robert David Lion Gardiner (1911-2004) was referred to as the de facto “16th Lord of the Manor.” Despite the regal appellation, the Gardiner family has figured as steadfast supporters of Long Island’s history and community, just as the recent Connecticut-based collectors have likewise made an enduring impact on the community first settled by their ancestors.

For a photograph of Robert David Lion Gardiner with the painting, see the catalogue for Christie's, New York, Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, and Prints, January 21, 2005, p. 156.