Portrait of Princess Isabella Stuart in a Landscape
Oil on canvas
42 ½ x 33 ½ inches (108 x 83.8 cm)
Frame 54 3/4 x 46 inches (139.2 x 116.8 cm)
Provenance:
Private collection, Germantown, Ohio
In 1673 Mary of Modena, daughter of Alfonzo IV of that duchy, was married by proxy to James Stuart, the younger brother of Charles II of England, and later Charles's successor as James II. At the time of their marriage, Mary was 15 and James 40. On August 28, 1676, their daughter Isabella was born at St. James’s Palace in London. In the autumn of 1679, King Charles sent James and Mary to Edinburgh to oversee royal affairs in Scotland, while their daughter Isabella remained in London. Sadly, on March 2, 1681, the girl died without having seen her parents again. After this heartbreaking loss, Mary’s health steadily declined, and she fell into a state of mental instability that continued for years.
In this composition, probably painted around 1677, the artist depicted Princess Isabella with a garland of flowers in her hair, seated on a red curtain with a lamb in a wooded landscape at twilight. The original version of the work is in the Royal Collection at Hampton Court, but at some point, that painting was cut down from its original size. The version offered here, produced in Lely’s studio, presents the entire original composition.
Portrait of Princess Isabella Stuart in a Landscape
Oil on canvas
42 ½ x 33 ½ inches (108 x 83.8 cm)
Frame 54 3/4 x 46 inches (139.2 x 116.8 cm)
Provenance:
Private collection, Germantown, Ohio
In 1673 Mary of Modena, daughter of Alfonzo IV of that duchy, was married by proxy to James Stuart, the younger brother of Charles II of England, and later Charles's successor as James II. At the time of their marriage, Mary was 15 and James 40. On August 28, 1676, their daughter Isabella was born at St. James’s Palace in London. In the autumn of 1679, King Charles sent James and Mary to Edinburgh to oversee royal affairs in Scotland, while their daughter Isabella remained in London. Sadly, on March 2, 1681, the girl died without having seen her parents again. After this heartbreaking loss, Mary’s health steadily declined, and she fell into a state of mental instability that continued for years.
In this composition, probably painted around 1677, the artist depicted Princess Isabella with a garland of flowers in her hair, seated on a red curtain with a lamb in a wooded landscape at twilight. The original version of the work is in the Royal Collection at Hampton Court, but at some point, that painting was cut down from its original size. The version offered here, produced in Lely’s studio, presents the entire original composition.
Old Master Paintings & Drawings
Glue relined. Some frame abrasion along the upper edge. Scattered touches of restoration. Some contours and shadows reinforced
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Auction: Old Master Paintings / Phipps Collection / Silver / English & Continental Furniture, Jan 28, 2025
NEW YORK, NY -- Doyle's auction on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 will offer 19th Century & Old Master Paintings & Drawings as well as The Collection of Howard Phipps Jr., Erchless, Westbury.
The auction onWednesday, January 29 at 10am will feature English & Continental Decorative Arts and English & Continental Silver.
Consignments are currently being accepted. We invite you to contact us for a complimentary auction evaluation. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
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