Christina, Princess of Denmark and Norway, Duchess of Milan (1521/22 – 1590), aged 16
after Hans Holbein the younger (Augsburg 1497/8 - London 1543)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1555 (after) - circa 1589
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1016 x 724 mm (40 x 28 1/2 in)
Order this imageCollection
Dunham Massey, Cheshire
NT 932355
Caption
The sitter was the daughter of Christian II of Denmark and Isabella of Spain. She married Francesco Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan, but on his death went to live at the Court of Brussels in 1538. It was at this time that Holbein was sent by Henry VIII – who had designs on marrying her - to make drawings of the Princess. She, however, declined the prospect and married Francis, Duke of Lorraine, in 1541. The prime version is in the National Gallery, London.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Christina, Princess of Denmark and Norway, Duchess of Milan (1521/22 – 1590), aged 16 after Hans Holbein the younger (Augsburg 1497/8 - London 1543), inscribed in later hand, top right: CHRISTINA FILIA, CHRISTIERNI / REGIS DANIAE DVCISSA LOSHARINGIAE / ET ANTEA DUCISSA MEDIOLANI / HHF. A copy of the original Duke of Norfolk's full-length picture, now in National Gallery, London. A three-quarter length portrait, facing, in black mourning habit edged with brown fur and small black cap, hands clasped in front holding her leather gloves. Christina was the daughter of Christian II of Denmark. She married, first, at the age of 11, Francis Sforza, Duke of Milan, who died the following year. She married, secondly, Francis, Duke of Lorraine.
Provenance
Presumably Edward, 1st Earl of Conway (d.1683; Elizabeth, the 1st Lord Delamer’s eldest daughter by his second wife, was his second wife), whose arms, impaling those of his third wife, Ursula Stawel, are on a seal on the back of the picture (dated 1681-3; cf. letter of 9 November 1950 from Lancaster Herald, in file); then likely to have been owned by William Sykes (1659-1724), a painter and dealer; his posthumous sale 1733-34, lot 153 (2nd part), where it was recorded by Vertue
Marks and inscriptions
Verso: red wax seal, bottom right, on the back of the panel. See the letter dated 9 November 1950 from Archibald Russell, Lancaster Herald, College of Arms, London. “Dear Lamb, On getting back here yesterday, I had a look for the Arms on the back of Lord Stamford’s panel of the Duchess of Milan, with the following result. The Arms are those of the Earl of Conway, impaling those of his wife, Ursula, eldest daughter and co-heir of George Stawell (brother of Ralph, 1st Baron Stawell) of Cothelstone, Co. Somerset, Colonel in the Army. They are blasoned as follows:- Sable, on a bend cotised argent, a rose gules seeded vert between two annulets of the field (Conway), impaling Gules seven lozenges in cross argent (Stawell). Edward (Conway), Earl of Conway, Co. Carnarvon, was created Earl of Conway 3 Dec.1679. He married (as his 3rd wife), before 30 August 1681, Ursula Stawell. He died without issue on 11 Aug. 1683, when all his honours became extinct. The date of the Seal thus lies between August 1681 and August 1683. His widow married (as his 1st wife) John (Sheffield), Earl of Mulgrave, subsequently Marquess of Normanby, and finally (after her death) Duke of Buckingham.”
Makers and roles
after Hans Holbein the younger (Augsburg 1497/8 - London 1543), artist