Possibly Lady Mary Butler, Duchess of Devonshire (1646-1710), as the Virgin Annunciate
Willem Wissing (Amsterdam 1656 - Burghley House 1687)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
circa 1680 - 1685
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1335 x 1060 mm
Order this imageCollection
Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire
NT 1129209
Caption
The sitter in this portrait was, since 1903, identified as ‘Mrs Nott’ (Maid of Honour to Catherine of Braganza). However, none of the known portraits of her bear any resemblance to this picture. The likeliest subject would appear to be Lady Mary Butler, Duchess of Devonshire, in part because of the similarity to the sitter in the portrait of her at Chatsworth, also by Wissing. The fact that her Christian-name was Mary makes the identification even more probable. Lady Mary was the second daughter of James, 1st Duke of Ormonde. She was married, in 1662, to William, Lord Cavendish, who succeeded his father as 4th Earl of Devonshire in 1684, and was created Duke in 1694. The Duke was known as “a Corydon among the ladies” – if not worse – and it may be for that reason that she elected to be buried, not with him in All Saints’, Derby, but in Westminster Abbey with her parents.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Possibly Lady Mary Butler, Duchess of Devonshire (1646-1710), as the Virgin Annunciate by Willem Wissing (Amsterdam 1656 - Burghley House 1687), circa 1680/85. A three-quarter-length portrait, in the pose of the Virgin Annunciate, kneeling at a prie-dieu with winged cherubs top left; she wears a red dress, blue cloak and gold scarf over her head.
Provenance
Transferred from Chatsworth – hence not recorded before 1903; 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)
Makers and roles
Willem Wissing (Amsterdam 1656 - Burghley House 1687), artist