Sir James Wilford (1515-1550) (after Hans Eworth) (after a painting of 1547)
British (English) School
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1547 (bears date) - 1575 (date of posthumous celebration in book)
Materials
Oil on panel
Measurements
923 x 764 mm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Coughton Court, Warwickshire
NT 135561
Caption
Sir James Wilford was the heroic defender of Haddington in Kent, which is shown top right. It was said that he “was such a one as was able to make of a cowardly beaste a courageous man.” Confusingly, there is a discrepancy between the presence of the view of Haddington, the date inscribed on the picture (1547), which predates Wilford becoming Governor of Haddington, and the age of the sitter, which is said to be 32. Moreover, it has been suggested that the sitter’s armour is datable to around 1570/75, rather than 1547/8. None of the many versions of this picture can have been painted at the earlier date. In which case, it seems most likely that this was a posthumous celebration of the sitter, probably inspired by his glorification in Ulpian Fulwell’s ‘Flower of Fame’, of 1575.
Summary
Oil painting on panel, Sir James Wilford (1515-1550) (after Hans Eworth) (after a painting of 1547), British (English) School, 16th century. A three-quarter-length portrait, wearing armour, holding a baton in his right hand, view of a town or fortress, inscribed as Haddington seen behind and inscribed below it. The coat of arms are top left Sir James Wilford, grandfather of Agnes, wife of Sir John Throckmorton, Governor and Defender of Haddington against the French and Scots, 1548-9. Copy of picture in St George's Hospital.
Provenance
Possibly by descent from the sitter's granddaughter Agnes Wilford (probably the daughter of Robert Wilford,and thus the sister and coheiress of Joan/Joanna, who brought the St. George's Hospital version of the picture into the Aprece family, through her marriage to Robert Aprece or Ap Rhys (d.1622; cf. N & Q, p.477). wife of John Throckmorton, and mother of the 1st Bt, or a replica made for her; thence by descent, until purchased by National Trust in 1993 through private treaty sale with NHMF aid
Credit line
Coughton Court, The Throckmorton Collection (National Trust)
Marks and inscriptions
Recto: (upper left,under and upper right of the coat of arms, respectively): ANNO DOMINNI 1547. [Wilford was only appointed Governor of Haddington in April 1548, so either this date is a later error, or the fortifications shown are those of Lauder Castle, rather than Haddington] AETATIS. SVÆ.32; and over and under the view of a fortified town, respectively: HADDINGTUN TOVN Taken and defended agaynst four beseages of the Scotes assisted of the Frenche bie the valeure of the Englishe men. This knight being theyre Captayne. Top right is also a mantled coat of arms: quarterly, 1 & 4: gules, a chevron engrailed between three leopards' faces, or; 2 & 3: argent,[a chevron gules lacking?] three horns, sable; crest: a lion rampant, vert
Makers and roles
British (English) School, artist previously catalogued as after Hans Eworth (Antwerp c.1525 – ?London after 1578), artist