Mary Curzon, Countess of Dorset (1585 -1645) (after William Larkin)
William Hamilton RA (Chelsea 1751 - London 1801)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1776 (commissioned)
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
(90 x 58 in) 2286 x 1473 mm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire
NT 108775
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Mary Curzon, Countess of Dorset (c.1586 - 1645) (after William Larkin) by William Hamilton RA (Chelsea 1751 - London 1801), bears inscription, lower left: 'Mary daughter and heir to/Sr George Curzon of Croxhall in the County of Derby wife/to Edward Earl of Dorset' , 1776. A full-length portrait of the daughter of Sir George Curzon Bt of Croxhall and wife of Edward Sackville (4th Earl of Dorset), Governess to the children of Charles I, turned slightly to the right, gazing at the spectator, in a farthingale dress, a large ostrich feather fan in her right hand. Standing with left foot turned to left showing off heel, on 'Larkin' type carpet with background filled with centrally looped drapes. This portrait by William Hamilton (b., Chelsea c.1750, d. London 1801) is a copy of an original at Knole House in Kent (see NT 129916) which was probably painted by William Larkin. Mary Curzon was the last of the senior Curzon line and was daughter of Sir George Curzon, Bt of Croxhall, wife of Edward Sackville, 4th Earl of Dorset, and mother of the 5th Earl. In 1630 Mary was appointed Governess to the children of Charles the 1st (later Charles the 2nd and James the 2nd). The original (and its copy) are typical costume pieces of Larkin - note how the portrait draws as much attention to the embroidered dress, the crimson underskirt decorated with pearls and silver fringing, and the rosettes in pink and blue around the neckline, as to the subject herself. Hamilton was commissioned to make this copy of a portrait still at Knole House, Kent in 1776 for 30 guineas.
Provenance
Commissioned as a copy of a portrait still at Knole (see inv. no. 129916) in 1776 for 30 gns.; recorded in State Bedroom: 1787; 1796; 1802; 1856; 1861; 1977; 1986, and bought with part of the contents of Kedleston with the aid of the National Heritage Memorial Fund in 1987 when the house and park were given to the National Trust by Francis Curzon, 3rd Viscount Scarsdale (1924-2000)
Credit line
Kedleston Hall, The Scarsdale Collection (acquired with the help of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and transferred to The National Trust in 1987)
Marks and inscriptions
Mart, daughter (ampersand) heir to Sr George Curson of Croxhall in the county of Derby, wife of Edward Earl of Dorset (mark, painted, bottom lhs of canvas, gold text)
Makers and roles
William Hamilton RA (Chelsea 1751 - London 1801), artist after William Larkin (London c.1585 – London 1619), artist