Dr John Hewitt (1614-1658), Chaplain to Charles I
British (English) School
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1650
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
762 x 635 mm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Lyme, Cheshire
NT 499949
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Dr John Hewitt (1614-1658), Chaplain to Charles I, British (English) School, late 17th century. A half-length portrait of a man turned to the left, gazing at the spectator, with dark hair and black skull cap, set against a dark background. Wearing religious clothing of a white shirt with square collar underneath a red cloak with sleeves; black sashes over the top. Inscribed at the bottom: JOHN HEWITT.DD. / SON OF M[.r] THOMAS HEWITT OF ECCLES IN LANCASHIRE. / HE MARRYED THE LADY MARY BERTIE DAUGHTER OF THE LOYAL AND VALIANT / ROBERT EARL OF LINDSEY WAS CHAPLAIN TO K[g] CHARLES THE I. AND FOR HIS / LOYALTY TO HIS SON CHARLES THE SECOND WAS BEHEADED / ON TOWER HILL THE 8 DAY OF JUNE 1658.
Provenance
Purchased in 2002. Original to house. On the 1879 inventory and sold as lot 215 'oil painting, "John Hewitt, D.D." in 1946. The Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society visited Lyme in 1887 and made an inscription on the item, proving it to be from Lyme. Hewitt was chaplain to Charles I and it's believed that the king handed Sir Peter Legh his cloak before being executed, which could account for the picture being at Lyme.
Credit line
Lyme Park, The Legh Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
JOHN HEWITT.DD. / SON OF M[.r] THOMAS HEWITT OF ECCLES IN LANCASHIRE. / HE MARRYED THE LADY MARY BERTIE DAUGHTER OF THE LOYAL AND VALIANT / ROBERT EARL OF LINDSEY WAS CHAPLAIN TO K[g] CHARLES THE I. AND FOR HIS / LOYALTY TO HIS SON CHARLES THE SECOND WAS BEHEADED / ON TOWER HILL THE 8 DAY OF JUNE 1658. / (gold paint on base of image)
Makers and roles
British (English) School, publisher