18th century painting of the Dalbiac family in the gardens of a country house

circa 1730

This large double portrait depicts the sisters Lady Catherine and Lady Jane Brydges, the daughters of John Brydges, the Marquess of Carnarvon (1703-1727). They are seated on a stone...

Portrait of a lady, three-quarter length, wearing a blue silk gown, seated in a classical interior, with her daughter in a pink gown standing beside her holding a sprig of blossom. T...

A group portrait of the Southwell family on the terrace with a negro page and Macaw. Oil on canvas Signed and dated 1731 Canvas size 25 x 30 ¼ inches 63.5 x 77 cms Frame exterior 32 x 37 ¼ inches 81 x 94.5 cms This evocative family portrait offers a glimpse into the life of 18th Century English nobility. The Southwells are a noble family whose roots go back to the early 17th Century. In 1776 Edward Southwell III was granted the Barony of de Clifford (a title in abeyance at the time), and the line extends to today, with the 28th Baron de Clifford sitting in the House of Lords. Charles Phillips (1708-1747) was a leading portraitist of his time, having painted many noble and royal portraits. Two of his paintings are part of the Royal Collection Trust. In this portrait, signed and dated 1731, we see Edward Southwell Sr (1671-1730) and his family on the grounds of their Estate, Kings Weston House near Bristol. On the far left is Mrs. Helena Le Grand (Edward’s sister). Next to her is Mrs. Southwell (Edward’s second wife, the first having died in 1709). On the right is Edward Southwell Jr (1705-1755), Edward’s son by his first marriage and next to him a “Negro Page” (in the euphemistic words of an old label on the painting; more on him below.) Phillips has arranged the figures in an arc, anchoring the composition. The arc stretches from Mrs. Le Grand’s red dress on the left, through the colourful parrot, onward to the heads of Mr. and Mrs. Southwell, down again to the younger Southwell and finishing on the right with the enslaved boy. As Edward Sr. died in 1730, this must be a posthumous portrait, making it especially poignant. (Presumably Phillips used another portrait to capture his likeness.) One can imagine the late Edward’s family looking affectionately at the portrait, remembering the time spent with him on the grounds of Kings Weston House. Southwell stands between wife and son, eyes directed toward one, hand pointed toward the other, symbolically balancing the needs of both. Devoted husband and father? Perhaps. Slave-owner as well. English noble families of the 18th Century often had financial and practical connections with the slave trade. The Southwells themselves were granted a tract of land by the Crown in 1766, which Edward Southwell III (1738-1777) – the son of the younger Southwell in the portrait – developed with partners into a plantation worked by slave labour. This portrait shows us that slave ownership was not always a matter for distant colonies. This young boy, likely deprived of his freedom from birth (born to enslaved parents), was made to serve the Southwell family in their home. We see him here sitting half cross-legged, wearing a house servant’s uniform and a faint smile. He gaze is turned upward; at first we think is looking at his Master, then we realise he must be in fact enjoying the sight of the parrot eating from the hand of his Master’s sister. Phillips has placed him on the ground, beneath the rest of the family in pose as in station. Yet here he is in this portrait just the same, as if he were a member of the family. Was the family fond of him? Was he a playmate of the younger Southwell? Or was he simply there in the Garden that day to serve them their refreshments? The answers to these questions must remain unanswered, known only to the sitters frozen in time by Phillips’ paintbrush. Three centuries later we are fortunate to have this portrait as a snapshot of 18th Century England, both its nobility and its baseness. Charles Philips, the son of a portraitist, likely acquired his artistic skills from his father. He specialised primarily in painting small portraits and conversation pieces. George Vertue observed that in painting small figure portraits and conversation scenes, Philips gained significant recognition and patronage among fashionable circles, including members of the Royal Family. In 1732, he produced conversation works for the Duchess of Portland and the Duke of Somerset. During the 1730s, his conversation pieces became increasingly complex, featuring more numerous subjects engaged in a greater variety of activities. Following the precedent set by contemporaries such as Philippe Mercier and William Hogarth, both prominent painters of small-scale conversation pieces, Philips transitioned into the more lucrative field of portrait painting later in the decade. His career peaked in 1737 when he painted full-length portraits of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The Prince of Wales was renowned for his patronage of the arts, particularly towards immigrant artists including Jacopo Amigoni and Philippe Mercier, who were principal influences on Philips. Two of Philips' paintings in the Royal Collection depict fashionable London clubs not recorded elsewhere. The first, from 1732, shows Frederick...

This museum quality old master oil on canvas formal portrait painting depicting the family of the Count Zanardi is signed by the artist- the female painter Lucia Casalini Torelli- and published in a book dedicated to Casalini Torelli’s workshop and academy. This palatial masterpiece artwork comes directly from the ancient Villa Maraini Guerrieri - Palidano di Gonzaga (Mantua), an historic Italian heritage building owned by the descendants of the family portrayed for more than two centuries, until 1998. The big scale of this oil on canvas masterpiece painting states the relevance of Lucia Casalini Torelli as a painter. The present artwork is a formal family portrait painting that aim to introduce the characters depicted according to their social role in the society. The noble family is all gathered under a loggia overlooking a park, the landscape in the background is partially covered by a beautiful red cloth on the right side. The father stands up and holds the hand of his eldest son, proudly introducing his future heir. The son wears a light-blue dress and red boots, he is depicted in a serious pose holding a black tricorn hat under his arm and a rapier sword on his belt. The mother wears an elegant gold and dark green brocade dress, she is sitting with her youngest daughter on her knees while her second son is by her side. The little daughter wears a lovely long red and dress with white lace and holds an apple on her hand. The son stands next to his mother and is dressed in a brown priestly clothes. This palatial old masters piece was probably painted in 1740 due to the similarities with Cardinal Doria’ s portrait, now on display at the Doria Palace Museum, the official residence of the Prince of Genoa. The painting features original canvas (“prima tela”) and antique original patina, it is in excellent overall condition considering the age, use and its large scale. A formal detailed condition report and the results of the inspection with the UV lamp accompanied by photos is available on request. As well as for its exceptional quality and quite perfect state of conservation, this painting is particularly important and even more valuable both for the artist who painted it and for its absolutely exclusive provenance. Lucia painted the most prominent and powerful noble families of her time, the location of these paintings is unknown to the art market as it is extremely likely that the portraits are still kept in private collections. Furthermore, Lucia was one of the most appreciated artists of her time, so important that she was admitted as a member of the academy at a time when women were forbidden to attend these studies. In 1706, Felice Torelli...