Full Record |
| Title |
Portrait of Archbishop Sharp |
| Collection |
University of St Andrews |
| Artist |
Attributed to Lely, Peter (Dutch painter and draftsman, 1618-1680, active in England) |
| Date Earliest |
possibly about 1666 |
| Date Latest |
possibly about 1675 |
| Description |
James Sharp, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Chancellor of the University (1661-1679), portrayed at three-quarter length and three-quarter angle, sits at a desk in black gown with a white cravat. He supports an open book with right hand and looks at the viewer. A patterned dark yellow curtain adds a note of sumptuousness and relief to a sombre authoritative appearance. Recent cleaning revealed the quality of the picture and provenance research established this is an original by Lely, either dating from 1666 (when Sharp made a payment to Lely), or about 1675, when the sitter visited to London. |
| Current Accession Number |
HC225 |
| Subject |
portrait (Archbishop Sharp) |
| Measurements |
124.9 x 101.2 cm cm (estimate) |
| Material |
oil on canvas |
| Acquisition Details |
Purchased from executors of Miss Agnes Cecilie Sandys-Lumsdaine of Innergellie 1950 |
| Provenance |
Sir William Sharp of Scotscraig, Bt, 1679; by descent to Sir James Sharp; Mary Lilias Sharp and James Lumsdaine c. 1747; Francis Sandys-Lumsdaine in 1866. |
| Principal Exhibitions |
Reign of Charles II 1660-1685, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1866, cat. no. 907; Saving Face: Conserving the Art Collections of the University of St. Andrews, Crawford Arts Centre, St. Andrews, 2002. |
| Publications |
Reign of Charles II 1660-1685, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1866, illus. no. 907; Cant, R., Catalogue of Portraits unpublished, University of St. Andrews, 1944, no. 65. |
| Notes |
The University of St. Andrews has a copy of this portrait dating from the late 18th century. Other copies are held in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and Perth Museum and Art Gallery. Alexander Sharp had a miniature painted from the Lely portrait by David Paton. |
| Rights Owner |
University of St Andrews |
| Author |
Dr Claudia Heide |
|
