Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke, 1st Earl of Montgomery, KG (1584 – 1650)
Daniel Mytens the elder (Delft c.1590 – The Hague 1648)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1634 (signed and dated)
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
2172 x 1314 mm (85 1/2 x 51 3/4 in)
Order this imageCollection
Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire
NT 1129111
Caption
This portrait is one of a series of four hanging at Hardwick. The 6th Duke of Devonshire called them ‘not very prepossessing’ and could not understand why the 1st Duke selected this ‘coterie.’ The sitter in this portrait is shown holding the staff of Lord Chamberlain in his right hand, with the collar of the Garter supporting the greater George around his neck, with the jewelled Garter itself shown above his lemon yellow stockings. The 4th Earl was the favourite of James I, who appointed him a Gentleman of the Bedchamber. Under Charles I he was made Lord Chamberlain, but led a quarrelsome and debauched life at Court, pretending to have no other qualification than to understand dogs and horses. He was, however, a great patron of the arts, in particular of Inigo Jones, and also Van Dyck – he was responsible for the collection of works by this artist at Wilton.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke, 1st Earl of Montgomery, KG (1584 – 1650) by Daniel Mytens the elder (Delft c.1590 – The Hague 1648), signed, mid-right in brown (a little above table): D.Mytens pt / anno 1634. A full-length portrait, standing, turned slightly to the right in Earl's robes, wearing richly embroidered silver waistcoat, lace shoulder-collar, grey hose and standing by a table, right, on which is an Earl's coronet; staff of Lord Chamberlain in his right gloved hand, and key suspended from blue ribbon above waist; collar of Garter supporting greater George round neck, and jewelled Garter itself above lemon yellow stockings. He was handsome and unlearned, married firstly Susan Vere, daughter of the Earl of Oxford, and secondly Anne Clifford, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Cumberland and widow of the 3rd Earl of Dorset. He was the favourite of James I and became Earl of Montgomery and Gentleman of the Bedchamber. He was Lord Chamberlain to Charles I; patron of Inigo Jones, also of Van Dyck (he was responsible for the original collection of works by this artist at Wilton). Shakespeare's first folio was dedicated to him and to his elder brother, the 3rd Earl, whom he succeeded in 1630. He led a quarrelsome and debauched life at Court. In the Civil War he took the side of Parliament. He pretended to no other qualification than to understand dogs and horses.
Provenance
Seen by Walpole at Chatsworth in 1760; by descent until, following the death of Edward William Spencer Cavendish, 10th Duke of Devonshire (1895 - 1950), Hardwick Hall and its contents were accepted by HM Treasury in part payment of death duties and transferred to the National Trust, in 1959
Credit line
Hardwick Hall, The Devonshire Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
in black, bottom left, Earl of Pembroke; above table, between curtain and robe, D. Mytens ft Anno 1634 (not visible from ground)
Makers and roles
Daniel Mytens the elder (Delft c.1590 – The Hague 1648), artist