Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine and Duchess of Cleveland (1640- 1709)
after Sir Peter Lely (Soest 1618 – London 1680)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1660 - 1699
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
945 x 806 x 48 mm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Chirk Castle, Wrexham
NT 1171142
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine and Duchess of Cleveland (1640- 1709), after Sir Peter Lely (Soest 1618 – London 1680). A half-length portrait of a young woman, in a sculptured oval, facing, turned slightly to left, gazing at spectator, wearing a décolleté russet dress, her right hand against her cheek and her hair let down. An old label on verso claims this portrait is of Frances Brooke, Lady Whitmore 'three months before her death', but is in fact an adaptation of Lely's full-length of Charles II's mistress, at Knole. See also two portraits of her at Sudbury.
Provenance
In Chirk Castle catalogue, c.1900, as in Saloon (Shown on diagrammatic hang [north wall, bottom register, left of fireplace] and manuscript picture list) and : “20. Lady Whitmore (taken three months before her death).”;With some of the contents, in 1978, that were acquired along with Chirk Castle from Lt-Col Ririd Myddelton (1902–1988) by the National Land Fund and handed, on loan for 99 years, to the Secretary of State for Wales (In 1981 Chirk was transferred into the ownership of the National Trust); Previously amongst the chattels that, in 1978, were acquired along with Chirk Castle from Lt-Col Ririd Myddelton (1902–1988) by the National Land Fund and handed, on loan for 99 years, to the Secretary of State for Wales. In 1981 Chirk was transferred into the ownership of the National Trust. Chattels from the estate of Lady Margaret Myddelton that were accepted in lieu in 2006. Previously on loan by Guy Myddelton.
Credit line
Chirk Castle, The Myddelton Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
Verso: Label on back of frame inscribed in ink in 19th century hand: Saloon No.20 / Lady Whitmore taken three months before her death
Makers and roles
after Sir Peter Lely (Soest 1618 – London 1680), artist