Judith Poley, Lady May (d.1661)
Matthew Snelling (1621 –1678)
Category
Art / Miniatures
Date
1630 (after)
Materials
Watercolour on pasteboard
Measurements
6.3 x 5 cm
Order this imageCollection
Ickworth, Suffolk
NT 851864
Summary
Portait miniature, watercolour on pasteboard, Judith Poley, Lady May (d.1661) by Matthew Snelling (1621 –1678), mid 1630s, oval. Head and shoulders portrait of a woman, turned to the left, gazing at the spectator, wearing a black dress, white lace collar, pearl earrings and necklace. Dark eyes, brown hair and widow's peak, pink complexion modelled with short blue-grey brush strokes. Grey background. Case inscribed 'Judith Lady May by M. Snelling'. Judith married Sir Humphrey May, and she was the mother of Isabella, wife of Sir Thomas Hervey.
Provenance
Presumably by descent to Frederick William, 4th Marquess of Bristol (1863-1951); accepted in lieu of tax on his estate by H M Treasury and transferred to the National Trust in 1956.
Marks and inscriptions
Engraved on the back of the gold case: Judith Lady May by M. Snelling
Makers and roles
Matthew Snelling (1621 –1678), artist