Full Record |
| Title |
Possibly Lady Emily Howard |
| Collection |
English Heritage (Kenwood House) |
| Artist |
Attributed to Geeraerts, Marcus, the younger (Flemish painter, 1561-1635, active in England)
Previously attributed to Janssens van Ceulen, Cornelis (English painter, 1593-1661) |
| Date Earliest |
about 1623 |
| Date Latest |
about 1623 |
| Description |
Marcus Geeraerts the younger (1561/2-1636) was born in Bruges and came to London in 1568 with his father Marcus the elder from whom he probably received his first training as a painter. He may also have studied with Lucas de Heere and travelled in the Low Countries before settling in London. In 1590 he married the sister of the painter John de Critz and after about 1592, supported by the patronage of Sir Henry Lee, Geeraerts developed into the most successful painter at Queen Elizabeth I's court. In 1611 he is still documented as 'His Mat.ies Paynter' however with the later arrival of Paul van Somer and Daniel Mijtens his popularity diminished at James I's court. If the date 1623 inscribed on this painting is accurate, this picture was produced during Geeraerts final years when his standing at court was waning under the pressure of competition from the recently arrived new Flemish and Dutch artists. Despite the inscriptions at the top of this portrait the identity of the sitter remains mysterious, she is identified as Emily, daughter of Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk and Catherine Knevet, however, while they are known to have had a daughter named Emily she is recorded as dying young and unmarried, it is therefore unlikely that she corresponds to the elegantly dressed woman in this portrait, who's age is given as thirty-four. The fact that she is dressed in black suggests that she may be in mourning. |
| Current Accession Number |
88019168 |
| Former Accession Number |
18; 359 |
| Inscription |
front ul 'Lady Emily 1623 / Howard'; ur 'Ętatis suae: 34'; 'Lady Emily Howard' is a later addition; the original is likely to have read 'Anno Dni 1623' |
| Subject |
portrait (Emily Howard) |
| Measurements |
72.0 x 60.4 cm cm (estimate) |
| Material |
oil on panel |
| Acquisition Details |
Given to the Nation by the Honourable Mrs Grenville Howard on the request of her mother-in-law Margaret Hyde, 19th Countess of Suffolk 1974. |
| Provenance |
First recorded at Charlton Park, 1834; Suffolk collection by descent. |
| Publications |
Howard of Corby, H., Indications of Memorials, Monuments, Paintings and Engravings of Persons of the Howard Family, etc, 1834; Paget, F. E., Some Records of the Ashsteard Estate, 1873; Finberg, A. J., 'A Chronological List of Portraits by Cornelius Johnson or Jonson', Walpole Society, X, 1921-22, p. 9, n. 8 (all as Johnson); Jacob, J., The Suffolk Collection: Catalogue of Paintings, London, 1974, no. 18. |
| Rights Owner |
© English Heritage Photo Library |
| Author |
Francesco Nevola |
|
