David Colyear, Viscount Milsington (1698-1728/9) and his Brother Charles Colyear, 2nd Earl of Portmore (1700-1785)
manner of Sir Godfrey Kneller (Lübeck 1646 - London 1723)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1702
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1346 x 1448 mm (53 x 57 in)
Place of origin
Great Britain
Order this imageCollection
Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire
NT 108812
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, David Colyear, Viscount Milsington (1698-1728/9) and his Brother Charles Colyear, 2nd Earl of Portmore (1700-1785), in the manner of Sir Godfrey Kneller (Lübeck 1646/9 - London 1723), circa 1702. Inscribed on gilt label on frame: DAVID 2ND VISCOUNT MILSINGTON / and his brother / CHARLES 2ND EARL OF PORTMORE / 1708. Two full-length portraits, Charles, the elder in blue dress, left arm on hip, standing on a tesselated floor, points with his right arm to his younger brother on the left, dressed in classical drapery and feathered hat seated on a crimson stool which is heavily fringed. He, in turn, points to a dog by his side and occupying left lower portion of painting. Background of left of painting is occupied by a pillar supporting an urn, a balustrade and a distant landscape. The younger boy, Charles (1700-1785) was to be the father of Lady Caroline Colyear, wife of the 1st Baron Scarsdale. He was known as 'Beau Colyear', for the magnificance of his dress and equipages, despite his slender family fortune. His elder brother David (1698-1729), died without issue while on the Grand Tour.
Provenance
Probably the picture that passed by descent in the Colyear and Dawkins families, until included in the posthumous sale of the Reverend Edward Henry Frederick Dawkins (1837 - 1912), Christie’s, 28 February 1913, lot 29 as by Kneller (but if so, with measurements transposed, as 60 x 48½ in), bought by Agnews [for Lord Curzon];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
Recto: label - painted - bottom of frame - black text on gold - DAVID 2ND VISCOUNT MILSINGTON AND HIS BROTHER CHARLES 2ND EARL OF PORTMORE 1708 Verso: Printed label on back of frame of: W.HOLDER, Picture Restorers, 33 Brewer Street.
Makers and roles
manner of Sir Godfrey Kneller (Lübeck 1646 - London 1723), artist