William Herbert, 3rd Marquess of Powis (c.1698-1748) as a Boy
French School
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1700 - 1729
Materials
Oil on canvas (oval)
Measurements
724 x 603 mm (28 1/2 x 23 3/4 in)
Place of origin
France
Order this imageCollection
Powis Castle and Garden, Powys
NT 1181068
Caption
In this portrait, the young William Herbert is pictured wearing a sumptuous array of silks and gilt-edged fabrics, adorned with a gold motif of a lion’s head. His outfit seems almost like a historical costume. In particular, the details below his shoulders and around his waist are reminiscent of the decorative strips of leather known as ‘pteruges’ worn by Roman and Greek soldiers. The artist is unknown, but the style suggests a French hand. William was the son of the 2nd Marquess of Powis and succeeded his father’s title in 1745. He died unmarried in 1748, leaving the Powis estates to a distant relative, Henry Arthur Herbert, Lord Herbert of Chirbury, who was later made Earl of Powis (second creation).
Summary
Oil painting on canvas (oval), William Herbert, 3rd Marquess of Powis (c.1698-1748) as a Boy, French School, early 18th century. A three-quarter-length portrait of the eldest son of the 2nd Marquess, in a pink dress with a green cloak over his shoulders. He is pointing at the man running in the landscape behind. He succeeded his father in 1745 and died unmarried in 1748.
Provenance
Accepted by HM Treasury on 21st March, 1963 in lieu of tax and conveyed to National Trust ownership on 29th November 1963.Recorded at Powis Castle in Montgomery Collections Vol VI P.148 in 1873.
Credit line
Powis Castle, The Powis Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
French School, artist
References
Steegman 1957 John Steegman, A Survey of Portraits in Welsh Houses, Vol.I: North Wales, Cardiff, 1957, no. 33