The Klabin Portrait
The title of this page is The Klabin Portrait, but it could have just as easily have been called The Frick Portrait or The Brocklebank/Taylor Portrait.
What all of these three paintings have in common is that they have at some point all been identified as Lady Jane Grey.
For J. Stephan Edwards's assessment of the The Klabin Portrait, see p. 112-115 of A Queen of a New Invention, for the Brocklebank/Taylor Portrait, see p. 98-101. (There called the Tayler Portrait, it was Lee Porritt who discovered its provenance prior to 1998.)
Lee Porritt writes in Lady Jane Grey By Antonis Mor of the Frick Portrait that, «To me, it is more characteristic of a painting based on an existing portrait, pattern, or sketch by another artist of the sixteenth century than that of Mor. This may then have been copied on multiple occasions within a workshop to create an image and fill the demand for portraits to be used as decoration within the home. Workshop portraits were in high demand towards the end of the sixteenth century, and their creation required a lesser skilled artist than that of the great masters who may have painted the image in the first place. This theory is pure speculation at this time and will not be known for certain until the Frick portrait is located and studied further, however, the survival of other images which are close in comparison do suggest this.»
«The Frick portrait does show some similarities to a group of paintings depicting unidentified female sitters wearing similar clothing, including one once thought to depict Anne Boleyn. That painting is now identified as a portrait of an unknown woman and is in the collection of the Musee Conde in France.
The Musee Conde portrait is dated to the second half of the sixteenth century, according to the museum’s website records. Like the Frick Portrait, it is painted on wood, which does indicate that it may have been painted at a similar period. It is highly likely that the artist who created the Frick portrait used an image or pattern similar to this painting as a source of reference when creating the portrait and that the identity of the original sitter and artist who painted it have been lost, allowing Jane’s name to be associated at a later point in time.»
This led me to take an interest in the workshops.
A lot of these portraits are called, in various sales catalogues: François Clouet, attributed to François Clouet, after François Clouet, School of François Clouet, French School.
Where a definite reference image can be traced, more often than not it proves to be a portrait by Antonis Mor. Even more generally, a portrait depicting a lady located in Spain or the Spanish Netherlands.
Overall, the dominant trend is portraits depicting a lady in the fashion of Spain or the Spanish Netherlands.
One notable exception so far being the Clopton Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I Tudor, which appears to have been very popular.
Jerónima Enríquez de Guzmán, II Marquesa de Las Navas. She was the wife of Pedro Dávila y Córdoba, II Marqués de las Navas (d.1579). To bring everything full circle, it was her father-in-law, Pedro de Ávila y Zúñiga, I Marqués de las Navas, who was the one who in 1553 took the presents of Prince Felipe II to his fiancée the Queen of England Mary I Tudor, amongst them La Peregrina.
The first Marquess was received by Queen Mary with great pleasure and was the object of entertainment. In 1554 he was appointed ambassador to England, replacing Simon Renard.
Called Portrait of a Princess, French School, Late 16th Century – Alain R. Truong
The portrait below was described by Duke's to be a companion portrait to the one in the middle:
Portrait of a Lady, Traditionally Identified as Mary Tudor (1496-1533), by a Follower of Anthonis Mor. «By descent in the Hesketh family, Heslington Hall, Yorkshire, to Anne, daughter and co-heir of Thomas Hesketh of Heslington (d. 1708), who married in 1692 Lieutenant Colonel James Yarburgh (d. 1728) of Snaith Hall, Yorkshire» – Sotheby's
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An Unknown Woman, by an Unknown Artist, 16th century – Snowshill Manor, South West, National Trust | NT 1336287. Provenance: Given to the National Trust with Snowshill Manor in 1951 by Charles Paget Wade.
Inscribed REGINA DANGLIETERRA – Called Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-87), c.1558 Franco-Scottish School – Philip Mould. I have no idea why the excellent people at Philip Mould have tied themselves into knots trying to prove that this is Mary, Queen of Scots. This is literally Elizabeth I Tudor. It's another version of the Clopton Portrait. That's the consort necklace she is wearing around her neck.
Called Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587), British (English) School, Hardwick Hall, National Trust | NT 1129179 «This picture has been extensively repainted, so its original appearance can hardly be detected. Her headdress (but not hat), high collar and panel, and the shape of her dress (but not the exaggerated slashing and puffs) are just as in the profile engraving published by Hieronymus Cock in 1559, just after her accession to the throne of Scotland. The man’s hat symbolises her authority.»
«This portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots has recently been rediscovered as an image painted within her lifetime or very shortly after her death. The painting had long been considered to date from the eighteenth century, but recent tree ring analysis (known as dendrochronology) has established that the panel was felled in the sixteenth century. The work can now be dated to 1560 -1592. Recent conservation work has also revealed an original oval background with a marbling effect, which had previously been overpainted with dark brown paint.»
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Anna of Austria – Portrait of Anne of Austria (1549-1580), daughter of Emperor Maximilian II, Queen of Spain, wife of Philip II Oil on panel. 29 x 22 cm Annotations on verso, in ink. Works in relation: The portrait of Anthonis Mor (Prado Museum). Another portrait, close to the one presented here (Paris sale, December 14, 2007, n ° 20). We thank Mrs. Alexandra Zvereva for her help and character identification – Beaussant Lefèvre
Formerly known as Lady Jane Grey, either Elizabeth or Anna of Austria – It was J. Stephan Edwards who identified this portrait as either Elizabeth or Anne of Austria. For his assessment of this portrait see p. 98-101 of his book A Queen of a New Invention.
Called Elizabeth of Austria – Sotheby's
Portrait of Anne van Buren after Mor, Antonis (North Netherlandish painter, born 1512-1516, died c. 1576), Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool Artist – «The sitter was the first wife of William of Orange. This is one of many copies of a lost portrait, the original of which was painted by Mor in 1555. Mor was apprenticed to Jan van Scorel in Utrecht and became his assistant. After visiting Italy, he joined the painters' Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp and became painter to Emperor Charles V's minister in 1549. For twenty years Mor travelled between the Habsburg courts of Europe and his portraits comprise a hall of fame of the era's rulers. Mor added Netherlandish attention to detail and insight into character to the grandness of Titian's portrait style.»
https://blouinartsalesindex.com/auctions/Antonis-Mor-6477727/La-princesse-d'Orange
Special Notice Circle of François Clouet (Tours? c.1516-1572 Paris) Portrait of a lady, traditionally identified as Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587), half-length, in a black dress and white ruff with a gold necklace – Christie's
Inscribed 'CHATILINA D HOLANDIA' – Chatilina of Holland or the Netherlands
Charlotte of Bourbon (1546/1547 – 5 May 1582) was the third wife of William of Orange, and could possibly be described as being 'of Holland' or 'of the Netherlands'.
Inscribed 'GENTE DAMME'D BRUSELLE' – Lady of Brusells. A relative of either Philip II or William of Orange?
After tracing the evolution of the portrait of her step-mother Anna of Austria, Queen Consort of Spain, I am convinced that there is some connection.
Perhaps it was created as a part of a set of the two of them? (Or the whole family?)
It seems to be patterned after a workshop copy of that portrait.
Isabel of Bourbon, Queen Consort of Spain, is also a possibility.
Called Margaret Luttrell, Mrs Peter Edgcumbe | English School | 1500-1599 | oil on panel | National Trust; Dunster Castle | NT 726103
French School, 16th Century Portrait of a Noble Lady with Lace Collar (Elisabeth of Austria?), 16th century, inscribed FILIA GENOVESA – Genoese daughter. At this point I feel that the workshop copyists are just messing with us.
(Or does it really say SENOVESA? That's what I thought at first, but I rejected it because, well, Genovesa is an actual Latin word. Also I thought that I had seen another of these portraits with the brown inscription border in which the letter S and the letter G were interchangeable. But now I can't find it, so it seems I was mistaken, unlikely as that sounds.)
Of Savoy?
Catherine Michelle of Spain, Duchess of Savoy (10 October 1567 – 6 November 1597), daughter of Philip II of Spain? That seems too late for this portrait. Of the many, many, many portraits of Catherine Michelle there is no corresponding that I can find.
Of Senova?
Felice della Rovere (c. 1483 – 27 September 1536), daughter of Pope Julius II? That seems too early for this portrait. No corresponding portrait that I can find.)
If anything, the portrait resembles more a type called Genoese Lady by Anthony van Dyck. These seem to date too late, however, and the resemblance is by no means perfect.
The one below is ironically located in the Frick Collection, and dated to ca. 1625–27.
There is one in the Louvre with even more elements from our portraits, but again, too late, and the resemblance is by no means perfect.
Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587) Henry Bone, RA (Truro 1755 – Somers Town, London 1834) – National Trust Collections – Portrait miniature, enamel, Mary, Queen of Scots, (1542–1587) by Henry Bone, RA (Truro 1755 – Somers Town, London 1834). 1812. Rectangular with rounded corners at top. Three-quarter length portrait of a young woman, turned slightly to the right, gazing at the spectator, wearing a dark bejewelled dress with white and gold banded sleeves, a small ruff, and a bejewelled necklace. Pale brown hair, small hood cap with a pendant peark on her forehead. with Mary is supposed to be aged 17 years. London, May 1812. Inscribed on back of enamel, 'Painted by Henry Bone R.A. England. Painter in Ordinary to H.R.H. The Prince Regent from the original in the collection of the Marquis of Salisbury at Hatfield House'.
Portrait of Joanna of Austria, Granduchess of Tuscany (1547–1578) – The present portrait is closely related to a full-length portrait of Joanna of Austria by Giovanni Bizzelli (1556–1607 or 1612) in Vienna (Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie, Inv.-Nr. GG 3243).
Jamie Kessler
26.11.2020 00:47
I am in possession of one of these paintings- La Princesse d"Orange, ca. 1500-1599 Antonis Mor van Dashorst
Site Owner
08.12.2020 09:04
Oh, how exciting! How great to hear from you 😊 That is such a beautiful portrait. How fun it must be to own it!
Latest comments
07.12 | 21:47
It looks like The Tau cross derives from the Egyptian Ankh and basically they are wearing it around their necks, life rebirth, salvation mirror. sun.Stonehenge looks like it is made up of Ts to form c
07.12 | 21:30
are wearing the symbol on effigies at Ingham church Norfolk and Henry StanleyD1528 at Hillingdon Middlesex.Countess Jacquline of Hainaut and husband Frank Borsele are also wearing the insignia others
07.12 | 21:23
These Queens could of been members of the order and i think the Tau cross is a symbol of the Holy Trinity also.These pendants could of been reliquaries.Lady margaret de Bois and Roger de bois
07.12 | 21:17
I think the Tau cross that they are wearing could be linked to the(knights) order of St Anthony, Mary 1st collar looks like it may represent the knotted girdle/waist cord of st Anthony .