Lady Frances Seymour Studio of Sir Anthony Van Dyck 17th Oil Paintings

Lady Frances Seymour Nee Devereux - Duchess of Somerset & Marchioness of Hertford [Studio of Van Dyck Dutch] 17th Century golden age oil portrait paintings Fine quality stunning example of English noblewoman Lady Frances Seymour nee Devereux [Duchess of Somerset and Marchioness of Hertford] She lived during the reigns of Elizabeth I, James I, Charles I and Charles II. Her father was Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. Born:- Lady Frances Devereux 30 September 1599 Walsingham House, Seething Lane, London, England Death:- Died 24 April 1674 (aged 74) Buried Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire Quality sublime 17th Century oil portrait on canvas of The Duchess of Somerset (1599-1674) An extremely fine rendition of this well known aristocratic lady considered closely associated with students within ‘Studio of ‘ artist Sir Anthony Van Dyck (1599 - 1641). This is an exquisite version of the painting of the Duchess of Somerset and Marchioness of Hertford Lady Frances Seymour nee Devereux…. difficult to date precisely as it is so faithful to Van Dyck’s work. Considered contemporary by a close student ? – or devotee of Van Dyck, closely associated with his studio and influenced by his school. About:- Sir Anthony van Dyck (Dutch 22 March 1599 - 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Southern Netherlands and Italy. The seventh child of Frans van Dyck, a wealthy Antwerp silk merchant, Anthony was precocious as a youth and painted from an early age. In his late teens he was already enjoying success as an independent painter, becoming a master in the Antwerp guild in 1618. By this time he was working in the studio of the leading northern painter of the day, Peter Paul Rubens, who became a major influence on his work. Van Dyck worked in London for some months in 1621, then returned to Flanders for a brief time, before travelling to Italy, where he stayed until 1627, mostly based in Genoa. In the late 1620s he completed his greatly admired Iconography series of portrait etchings, mostly of other artists. He spent five years after his return from Italy in Flanders, and from 1630 was court painter for the archduchess Isabella, Habsburg Governor of Flanders. In 1632 he returned to London to be the main court painter, at the request of Charles I of England. Whoever the artist is, he or she had a prodigious talent in their own right as this is a portrait on a par with the original master”s work. Much has been written about the Seymour”s and the various grand inter connecting families of the period and it is worth a read by those who are fascinated by the period….. Our lady is in first class well looked after order – relined probably mid twentieth century and housed in a magnificent deep profile heavy oak gesso moulded frame which is later (circa 1800) but is an outstanding feature of this painting. We have an inscription top left – ”Francis Duchess of Somerset…. sister of Lady Dorothy Seymour…..” and there is the remnant of an old label verso with some wording legible which mentions these names… The portrait was until recently owned by a titled gentleman in Sussex and although I am speculating I feel that the expenditure on the frame alone indicates a family ownership which has endured the test of time….. See Image 10 / Full Length Version In Museum & Image Genuine Van Dyke Passage Portrait of Lady Devereux. Framed Measurements: Height 41 inches (104cm) Width 36 inches (91.5cm) Condition:- Very good throughout after past professional reline and clean to good standard Delivery:- UK £120 / Worldwide £400