John Astley (b.1676/77), aged 13 with two King Charles spaniels
circle of John Closterman (Osnabrück 1660 - London 1711)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1690 (inscribed)
Materials
Oil on panel
Measurements
1600 x 1321 mm (63 x 53 in)
Order this imageCollection
Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland
NT 1276778
Caption
This lavish portrait is a conspicuous demonstration of wealth, indicated by the sitter’s dress, and the depiction of his family estate, Melton Constable, in the background. He was the youngest son of Sir Jacob Astley, 1st Bt. (1640 – 1729) and Blanche Wodehouse (c.1642 – 97). His brother, Philip (1667 – 1739), succeeded to the title. There is another portrait at Seaton Delaval, which also probably depicts John Astley. It would have been exceptional for two portraits of the same sitter to have been painted so close together in time, but it seems possible that his parents were especially keen to capture their youngest child, born some time after their others.
Summary
Oil painting on panel, John Astley, aged 13 with two King Charles Spaniels, circle of John Closterman (Osnabrück 1660 – London 1711), inscribed, at the bottom of the plinth: Ao.. Aetatis. 13. 1690. Full-length portrait, seated, wearing a blue tunic and red cloak with his two spaniels, a view of Melton Hall beyond.
Full description
The youngest son of Sir Jacob Astley, 1st Bt. (1640 – 1729) and Blanche Wodehouse (c.1642 – 97). His brother, Philip (1667 – 1739), succeeded to the title. The family’s Norfolk home, Melton Constable, can be seen in the background. cf. the picture on loan from Lord Hastings, in the Ground Floor Passage (South), called John Astley. Given the existence of the present picture, it seems unlikely that two portraits of the same sitter would have been painted so close in time, although it is possible that his parents were especially keen to capture their ‘Benjamin’.
Provenance
accepted in lieu of tax by H.M. Treasury and transferred to the National Trust in 2009.
Marks and inscriptions
At the bottom of the plinth: Ao.. Aetatis. 13. 1690
Makers and roles
circle of John Closterman (Osnabrück 1660 - London 1711), artist