Attributed to an artist in the circle of Cornelius Johnson, considered to be "the most important native English portraitist of the early 17th century" (Encyclopaedia Britannica), the 1620s portrait being offered by Irwin & Lane depicts a mustachioed Jacobean courtier, merchant, or member of the gentry. His hair is shoulder length, and he is wearing fashionable black-on-black clothes and a light-colored ruff of a briefly popular style known as a falling band. Despite the legend hand-painted on the reverse of the canvas, the subject is not Sir George Calvert, Lord Baltimore "” he bears no resemblance to that Maryland pioneer "” though it may have been exhibited as such at one point in Baltimore. The stretcher bears the chalked name , in script, EVA WEMYSS. This could mean Lady Eva Wemyss (died 1948), a British philanthropist, suffragette, and art collector, who was the second wife of Reginald, Laird of Wemyss, and a daughter of the second Earl Cowley. Apparently cut from its original frame under unknown circumstances and glued to a later lining, the portrait has been professionally restored, removed from the intermediate canvas, attached to a new canvas, and remounted; all earlier materials have been retained for conservation and research purposes. The vintage frame has been painted black to emulate Dutch frames of the period that the painting was executed.


Condition:
Alterations: Restored
Imperfections: Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: Painting has been professionally restored, relined, and remounted (summer, 2021).

Dimensions:
Height: 29.76 in.
Width: 24.5 in.
Depth: 0.75 in.

Category: Paintings
Origin: United Kingdom
Materials: Canvas, Oil Paint

Shipping:

For an exact shipping quote, please email us at help@chairishauctions.com with your zip code. Exact shipping costs are dependent on destination, but can range between $230-$1500 for large/bulky items shipped to the continental United States. Note: there may be additional charges for ferry destinations.

No local pickup for this auction.

International: No International Shipping for this auction.

Location: This item ships from Cooperstown, NY

Your purchase is protected:
In the rare event that the item did not conform to the lot description in the sale, Chairish Auctions specialists are here to help. Buyers may return the item for a full refund provided you notify Chairish Auctions within 5 days of receiving the item.

Restored; Some Imperfections; Painting has been professionally restored, relined, and remounted (summer, 2021).