WINTER 2023/24
DIRECTOR’S ADDRESS
As we celebrate the start of a new year, it is always a fitting opportunity to reflect on the successes of the previous twelve months. With over 85,000 visitors to our Portraits of Dogs exhibition, we have reached a new record! Never before have we had so many people come to see a show at the Wallace Collection, and of those visitors, 30% had never been to the Collection before. Exhibitions allow us to bring new audiences to the museum and to share our incredible history and holdings with them, as well as encourage all those who are familiar with the museum to come back and explore the collection anew.
Those of you who visited last autumn will have discovered the new free display space on our ground floor. The Housekeeper’s Room has been refurbished to host small, exquisite shows that give visitors new insight into the Collection. Until 21 April, we have gorgeous, rarely seen watercolours by J.M.W. Turner and Richard Parkes Bonington on the walls. Do come to enjoy these artists’ expert command of the medium!
In 2024, our main exhibition celebrates the incredible 19th-century figure of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the artistic achievements of his empire and his legacy. Building on our rich, but little-known, collection of Sikh artworks, the exhibition will draw from public and private collections to step into this rarely explored period.
As a national museum and charity, making our work widely accessible to all is one of our core ambitions. We do this through many outlets, but in the following pages you will read about how our schools programme supports the education of children of all ages and the work of their teachers. Drawing inspiration from our collection and exhibition programme, we deliver sessions for children in London and across the country that cover curriculum topics from History to Geometry.
Over the past few years, we have also improved access to the results of research and conservation projects. Our website hosts free, permanent, in-depth resources on key parts of the Collection, which complement existing publications and previous displays. ‘Microsites’ focus on Wallace Collection stars such as Jean-Henri Riesener’s furniture and The Swing To mark his 300th birthday, we recently developed a new microsite to explore Joshua Reynolds’s paintings and learn about his innovative technique.
Finally, I would like to thank you all for your generosity to the museum in 2023. It is thanks to your support and appreciation of the Collection that we can care for it today and safeguard it to ensure that it continues to inspire future generations. We are very grateful!
I look forward to welcoming you to the Wallace Collection in 2024.
Director
Dr Xavier Bray
of the Wallace Collection
Cover image
Attributed to Kehar Singh, Maharaja Ranjit Singh with his favourite, Raja Hira Singh, attending as a cup bearer, Lahore, Punjab, c. 1835–38, detail Toor Collection
This page Sword associated with Maharaja Ranjit Singh, Awadh, late 18th or early 19th century (OA1404)
All images © The Trustees of the Wallace Collection unless stated otherwise.
Dr Xavier Bray, Director © Julian Calder
Opening in April 2024, our upcoming exhibition will centre upon the illustrious figure of Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) and the vibrant life of his court.
TIMELINE
1775
American Revolutionary War begins
1780 Ranjit Singh is born in November in Gujranwala City, in modernday Pakistan. At this time, large parts of the Punjab were divided into twelve confederacies, or Misls, each controlled by its own powerful Sikh ruler
1789
RANJIT SINGH: SIKH, WARRIOR, KING
Diminutive, scarred by smallpox, and blind in one eye, Ranjit Singh was a formidable warrior whose skill in battle, combined with some diplomatic artistry, saw the establishment of an empire which encompassed the Punjab, stretching from the Khyber Pass in the west to the edge of Tibet in the east. In this newly united Sikh Empire, the ‘Lion of Punjab’ oversaw a flourishing of art and culture centred upon the durbar, or royal court, situated within the walled city of Lahore. With its great wealth and connections to the Silk Road, Ranjit Singh’s court was amongst the most cosmopolitan in the world and received many western visitors, collectively known as Firangis or ‘Franks’, who marvelled at its splendour.
Through a magnificent array of over one hundred works drawn from both major private and public collections, visitors will be offered a glimpse into Ranjit Singh’s world. From glittering jewellery to intricately crafted weaponry and armour, the display will feature significant historical objects from the ascendant Sikh Empire, including items of personal significance to the maharaja and the most famous of his thirty ‘official’ wives, Maharani Jind Kaur.
For the first time, the Wallace Collection’s assembly of Sikh arms and armour, principally acquired by the 4th Marquess (1800–1870), will be contextualised alongside other works from the period. With objects being displayed in free-standing cases, visitors will be able to observe them from every angle, allowing for a greater appreciation of their exquisite detail.
George Washington is elected the first President of the United States of America
1789 The French Revolution begins
1792 Ranjit Singh becomes leader of the Sukerchakia Misl
1793 Louis XVI is guillotined
1797 Ranjit Singh marries Datar Kaur of the Nakai Misl
1799 Ranjit Singh captures Lahore, once the Mughal capital of the north, at 18 years old
1801 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland is created following the Acts of Union
1801 Ranjit Singh is crowned Maharaja of the Sikh Empire
1802 Ranjit Singh captures Amritsar, a sacred city founded by the fourth Sikh Guru, Ram Das
1803 The Napoleonic Wars begin
1807 The Sikh Empire expands towards Afghanistan with the defeat of the Afghan chief Qutb-ud-Din
1813 Jane Austen publishes Pride and Prejudice
1813 Ranjit Singh acquires the Koh-i-noor Diamond
1815 The Battle of Waterloo
1819 Ranjit Singh annexes Kashmir
1820 Sikh rule is consolidated over the whole of the Punjab between the Sutlej and Indus Rivers
1824 Cadbury opens a chocolate shop in Birmingham
1835 Ranjit Singh marries Jind Kaur, later regent of the Sikh Empire between 1843 and 1847
1837 Victoria becomes Queen of the British Empire
1839 Ranjit Singh dies and the reign of Maharaja Kharak Singh begins
1845–46 First Anglo-Sikh War
1847 The Brontë sisters publish Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey
1848–49 Second Anglo-Sikh war and the fall of the Sikh Empire, followed by the annexation of the Punjab by the East India Company
1854 Duleep Singh, Ranjit Singh’s youngest son, arrives in England
Below Turban helmet
Probably Lahore, Punjab, second quarter of the 19th century (OA1769)
Opposite
Elaborately embroidered sash, Kashmir, c. 1830, detail Victoria and Albert Museum (501-1907)
6
MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH WITH HIS FAVOURITE, RAJA HIRA SINGH, ATTENDING AS A CUP BEARER ATTRIBUTED TO KEHAR SINGH
Lahore, Punjab, c. 1835–38
Watercolour and ink heightened with gold on paper
Toor Collection
In this accomplished study, the maharaja is pictured seated in a basket throne adorned with swirling floral designs. His fine yet measured ensemble of green and gold is complemented by the gold-hilted sword that lies across his lap. In one hand, he grasps a small golden chalice, while the other rests upon a string of delicate pearls.
Sitting beside him is Hira Singh (1816–1844), the court favourite. He wears a pair of elaborate earrings and a turban ornament of emeralds, rubies, and gold with a jet-black heron plume. This attire, along with his shimmering golden sword, embodies the splendour of the Sikh court.
GOLDEN THRONE OF MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH HAFIZ MUHAMMAD MULTANI
Lahore, Punjab, c. 1820–30 Wood, resin, gold, velvet and wool Victoria and Albert Museum (2518(IS))
Created by the Muslim goldsmith Hafiz Muhammad Multani, this magnificent throne is arguably the most iconic symbol of the maharaja and his royal court.
Constructed in the form of a lotus flower, a symbol of purity and creation, its wooden structure is encased in sheets of embossed gold, exquisitely worked with floral motifs and scrolling ornamentation in relief. Glowing with opulence, it shares its decorative sensibilities with Harimandir Sahib, the Sikhs’ most holy shrine, popularly known as the Golden Temple of Amritsar, which Ranjit Singh had lavishly adorned with gold.
Following the Second Anglo-Sikh War and the annexation of the Punjab by the East India Company in 1849, the throne was taken to London to be displayed at the museum of the East India Company in Leadenhall Street. In 1879, it was transferred to the Victoria and Albert Museum where it now remains.
CHAR-AINA UNKNOWN MAKER
Punjab, 18th or 19th century
Iron or steel, gold, silver and velvet, with damascened (Koftgari) and Kufat work OA1500
One of the rarest known forms of Sikh armour, the char-aina (four mirrors) is a cuirass made of four interlinking plates. This exquisite example is adorned with protective inscriptions derived from Sikh scripture as well as an image of Guru Nanak, founder of the faith, at its centre.
With its potent talismanic properties, the armour promised spiritual as well as practical protection. In encasing the body with sacred words and imagery, the wearer remained in close proximity to their faith, carrying something of the divine into the violence and uncertainty of war.
The Wallace Collection
THE CREMATION OF MAHARAJA RANJIT SINGH WITH RANI MEHTAB DEVI, RANI HAR DEVI, RANI RAJ DEVI AND RANI RAJNO DEVI AND THEIR MAIDSERVANTS UNKNOWN KANGRA ARTIST
Kangra or Lahore, Punjab, c. 1840
Gouache heightened with gold on paper British Museum (1925,0406,0.2)
Likely produced shortly after the depicted event, this painting offers vivid insight into the personal devotion that Ranjit Singh inspired in others.
Even in death, the maharaja emerges in splendour, his body wrapped in a Kashmir shawl and adorned with glimmering jewels. Around the sandalwood funeral pyre are the four Rajput wives who are to be cremated alongside him in an act of sati (self-immolation). They are joined by seven maidservants, one of whom was said to have been barely twelve years old. Beside the richly adorned palanquin in the corner is the chief minister, Raja Dhyan Singh (1796–1843), who is being held back to prevent him from joining his master on the pyre.
MAHARANI JIND KAUR GEORGE RICHMOND
London, 1863 Pencil on paper Toor Collection
In the years following the death of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Empire was thrown into disorder, with three successors having been assassinated before Duleep Singh (1838–1893) was proclaimed Maharaja in 1843. Jind Kaur (1817–1863), the best-known of Ranjit Singh’s wives, was made regent and faced the daunting task of maintaining her five-year-old son’s legacy against both internal threats and the increasing aggression of the British East India Company.
After the First Anglo-Sikh War, Jind Kaur’s power declined. Following a period of imprisonment in the Chunar Fort, she fled to Nepal in 1849, where she would spend over a decade in exile before finally being reunited with her son in Calcutta in 1861.
In later life, Duleep Singh commissioned renowned portraitist George Richmond to capture his ageing mother’s likeness. Reflecting on their time together in his diary, the artist regarded her as ‘the real Governor of the Punjab’. Richmond completed his sketches in June 1863, and the final painting soon after. Within weeks, the last maharani of the Punjab died in her Kensington home.
FLOWER PENDANT EARRINGS OF MAHARANI JIND KAUR UNKNOWN JEWELLER
Lahore, Punjab, c. 1830–40
Gold, emeralds, diamonds, pearls and red spinels Toor Collection
In George Richmond’s portrait, the maharani is shown wearing a mass of pearl, gold and diamond jewellery. Particularly eyecatching is her earring, which appears virtually identical to this pair, raising the possibility that they may be the very same.
Each earring comprises a delicate gold flowerhead surmount, with an oval faceted emerald at the centre and lasque-cut diamonds spiralling outwards. Below, the dome of the pierced bell drop is patterned with emeralds and diamonds and bordered by foilbacked cabochon red spinels. Intricate, multi-tiered pearl fringes with glass beads dangle below, concealing a suspended emerald within each drop.
8 The Wallace Collection
NICOLE IOFFREDI, CRONK EXHIBITIONS RESEARCH ASSISTANT
Welcome, Nicole! Could you tell us a bit about your background?
I moved to London about seven years ago from Montreal, after having completed a BA in Art History and Religious Studies. I began working at an auction house, but soon realised that I wanted to be in the heritage sector. I decided to enrol on an MA in Museums, Heritage and Material Culture Studies at SOAS, University of London. Leaving a full-time position to pursue further studies took a leap of faith, but I am so grateful I decided to take the risk. After graduating in 2019, I began working at the British Library, as the Print Room Coordinator and Cataloguer for their collection of prints, drawings and photographs related to South Asia. I still work in this role part-time and my day-today involves collection care, research and making the collections available to the public.
What is your role at the Wallace Collection and what motivated you to take it on?
I will be supporting the delivery of our upcoming exhibition, Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior, King. This involves undertaking provenance research for incoming loans, assisting with the labels and coordinating the production of the audio guide. I will also be helping to create the content for the Ranjit Singh microsite. I was really drawn to the exhibition and wanted to be involved somehow. I liked the idea of showcasing wonderful objects through the life of a great personality. Ranjit Singh is such an important historical figure and it is a privilege to be helping with the exhibition.
What are you looking forward to most?
I am most looking forward to the exhibition opening, the first reactions from the public, and assisting with the guided tours. I love how objects have their own stories to tell and I am excited to share these with visitors but also to hear how the collections are meaningful to them. I’m sure there will be some challenges along the way, but the end goal will be fantastic!
Could you tell us more about the Ranjit Singh microsite?
The microsite will be drawing on all the research produced for the catalogue and interpretive texts. It will provide a lasting, free online resource for al who are interested in Ranjit Singh and the Sikh cultural output of the nineteenth century.
What is your favourite piece from the Wallace Collection?
I really enjoy walking through the arms and armour galleries to take a closer look at all the Mughal daggers. Their hilts are so intricately crafted and set with various gems, reminding you that they were symbols of the wearer’s status and wealth. This one, shaped like a horse’s head, is particularly beautiful (at right). I especially like how the carver used a fault in the stone to outline the horse’s mane.
We are grateful to Michael and Angela Cronk for supporting Ranjit Singh: Sikh, Warrior King through sponsoring Nicole’s work at the Wallace Collection.
Left Dagger, North India, 17th-century hilt (OA1420)
The Wallace Collection holds an exceptionally fine group of early nineteenth-century British and French watercolours. Typically kept in storage due to their sensitivity to light, ten luminous works by Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775–1851) and Richard Parkes Bonington (1802–1828) are the focus of our latest temporary display.
TURNER AND BONINGTON: WATERCOLOURS FROM THE WALLACE COLLECTION
With their heady sense of escapism, the works making up this small exhibition invite visitors to embark upon an odyssey from the rugged Yorkshire Dales to the magnificence of Venice and the gothic grandeur of Normandy, with a momentary pause to enjoy the bucolic delights of crab fishing on Scarborough’s beaches. Belonging to a period of British art in which watercolour emerged as a respected medium, Turner’s four views of Yorkshire and Bonington’s Venetian and coastal scenes stand as a testament to the artists’ shared interest in capturing the atmospheric effects of light.
While it is not known whether the two men ever met, Bonington was said to talk about Turner ‘ceaselessly’ and Turner may well have seen Bonington’s work exhibited at the Royal Academy and the British Institution in London.
Watercolour
Watercolour painting is a distinct art form and was particularly practised in Britain from the eighteenth century onwards. The process involves mixing pigment with a water-soluble binder, which is then thinned with water to produce a transparent colour. The medium’s versatility lends itself to the variety of effects visible in the works of Turner and Bonington. Both artists exploited the contrasts produced by translucent washes, dry paint, and scratching-out techniques, as well as the addition of gum arabic, to capture the transient qualities of nature.
Opposite
J. M. W. Turner, Scarborough Castle, Boys Crab Fishing 1809, detail (P654)
Richard Parkes Bonington
Born in Arnold, near Nottingham, Bonington spent much of his time in France. In Calais, he was inspired by local watercolourist François Louis Thomas Francia (1772–1839) to paint his coastal surroundings. A move to Paris in 1818 brought further opportunities and in 1820, he became a pupil of Baron Gros (1771–1835), a successful portraitist and painter of large-scale battle scenes, at the École des Beaux-Arts.
Bonington’s talent was swiftly noted, and at the Salon of 1824 his three seascapes in oil paint were greatly admired and earned him a gold medal. In 1825, he arrived in London with his friend Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863), whom he had met in Gros’ studio. Shortly afterwards he exhibited for the first time in London, where his delicate, small-scale works were eagerly sought-after by both dealers and private collectors.
Although consumption would cut his life tragically short at the age of twenty-six, Bonington was a habitual traveller, and through the brilliance of his work we may almost taste the salty air of the Normandy coast and hear the vibrant clamour of a Venetian piazza.
Born in Maiden Lane, Covent Garden, Turner entered the Royal Academy of Arts in 1789 at the age of just fourteen. The artist held a lifelong admiration for the natural world, and his work demonstrates a masterful appreciation of the effects of light and colour in nature.
Turner’s relationship with Yorkshire, a region to which he would return throughout his life, began with his first visit in 1797. The four hunting and ‘picturesque’ scenes that feature in this display were painted for Sir William Pilkington (1775–1850) of Chevet Hall, near Wakefield, and are based on on-the-spot drawings in sketchbooks that are now part of the Turner Bequest at Tate Britain. Painted between 1809 and 1816, when Turner was enjoying great success as a landscape painter, the watercolours attest to his steady confidence and increasingly experimental technique.
The display will remain open until 21 April 2024 and is accompanied by a programme of public events and courses. For more information, please visit our website.
Turner and Bonington: Watercolours from the Wallace Collection is the first in a series of free displays in a new space created through the renovation of the former Housekeeper’s Room during summer 2023.
The renovation was generously supported by the DCMS/ Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund and The Loveday Charitable Trust.
J. M. W. Turner
Top Richard Parkes Bonington, Rouen c. 1825 (P704)
Above Richard Parkes Bonington, Venice: the Piazzetta, c. 1826–27 (P684)
Top J. M. W. Turner, Hackfall, near Ripon c. 1816 (P661)
Above
J. M. W. Turner, Grouse Shooting on Beamsley Beacon late 1816 (P664)
Published in celebration of the 300th birthday of Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–1792), a new microsite delves into the life and artistic contributions of this renowned master of British portraiture.
EXPLORING REYNOLDS’S PAINTINGS: A NEW WALLACE COLLECTION MICROSITE
The Wallace Collection is home to a remarkable group of twelve paintings by Sir Joshua Reynolds, which range in subject from fashionable society portraits to a depiction of St John the Baptist. In 2010, the museum launched a research project in partnership with the National Gallery and the Yale Center for British Art, with the generous support of the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, to find out more about the often experimental materials and techniques used by Reynolds. These groundbreaking investigations were supplemented by important art historical research into the workings of the artist’s studio and the identity of his sitters. Alongside the book and exhibition Joshua Reynolds: Experiments in Paint of 2015, the microsite represents the culmination of this research, and offers fresh insight into the artist’s biography, his methods, and the group of works held by the Wallace Collection.
From Reynolds’s beginnings as the son of a reverend in rural Devon, the site traces the artist’s trajectory through his travels in Italy, where he was inspired by old master paintings and ancient sculpture, his visit to the Low Countries, and his eventual arrival in London, where he established a large and prolific studio.
Following his extensive travels and the cultivation of some high-profile friendships with individuals such as the actor and playwright David Garrick (1717–1779) and the writer Samuel Johnson (1709–1784), Reynolds was appointed the first President of the Royal Academy in 1768. His tenure continued until his death in 1792.
Opposite Joshua Reynolds, St John the Baptist in the Wilderness, c. 1776 (P48)
The Wallace Collection’s holdings represent one of the largest and most important groups of works by the artist in the world. Alongside explorations into Reynolds’s pioneering approach to portraiture and his unique combination of pigments, oils, varnishes and glazes, the Reynolds Research Project involved essential conservation work to ensure the preservation of his paintings for posterity.
These efforts did much to uncover new information on Reynolds’s artistic process. The conservation of the portrait of Miss Nelly O’Brien (1864–1925), a renowned beauty and courtesan, revealed the artist’s great skill in rendering the different textures and delicate colour harmonies of her costume.
The sensitive observation of ruffles, lace, and padded fabric indicates that this was a portrait of Reynolds’s own creation rather than the comparatively more mechanical work of one of the drapery specialists he frequently collaborated with, as is visible in the portrait of Mrs Elizabeth Carnac (1751–1780). Technical analysis has also revealed Reynolds’s preoccupation with light and shadow. The opening of the neckline of Nelly O’Brien’s dress, exposing a greater area of flesh, emerges as a stylistic choice designed to provide the artist with a greater canvas for tonal experimentation.
The new Reynolds microsite is not only a fantastic resource for discovering more about the artist’s life and work, but it also offers insight into the family history of the museum’s founders. The 1st Marquess of Hertford, Francis Seymour-Conway (1718–1794), began the tradition of collecting Reynolds’s artwork, a preoccupation that was inherited by his successors, including the 4th Marquess, who was responsible for bringing The Strawberry Girl and the portrait of Mrs Elizabeth Carnac into the family collection.
Joshua Reynolds’s innovative techniques produced vivid portraits and marked a new dawn for the genre. Explore this exciting new microsite to get to the heart of Reynolds the painter and Reynolds the man.
wallacecollection.org/explore/explore-in-depth/reynolds
Above Joshua Reynolds, Mrs Elizabeth Carnac c. 1775 (P35)
Left Joshua Reynolds, The Strawberry Girl 1772–73 (P40)
Opposite Joshua Reynolds, Miss Nelly O’Brien c. 1762–64 (P38)
ART, ARMOUR AND SEA MONSTERS: LEARNING AT THE WALLACE COLLECTION
The Wallace Collection’s primary schools programme supports creative encounters with art and culture for thousands of pupils.
With noble portraits and shimmering armour, dramatic landscapes and classical mythology, the Wallace Collection inspires schoolchildren to look closely at great art. Interactive sessions bring pupils face-to-face with artworks in the galleries and encourage them to think critically and produce their own creative responses to different aspects of the Collection.
This year, we increased onsite bookings, with a focus on schools with a higher-than-average provision for free school meals. We also launched Museum Ambassadors, an afterschool programme for year 5 and 6 pupils in the local community. Through these sessions, we aim to cultivate curiosity and a lifelong love of museums.
We are grateful to John Lyon’s Charity, which supports sessions for pupils with SEND, and to the Kirby Laing Foundation, for making this programme possible.
Equestrian armour, Germany, partially Landshut, c. 1485 (A21)
Titian, Perseus and Andromeda 1554–6 (P11)
Peter Paul Rubens, The Rainbow Landscape c. 1636 (P63)
THE ‘MOST HANDSOME MAN IN ART HISTORY’: THE LAUGHING CAVALIER ON LOAN
Following his installation at the landmark exhibition Frans Hals at the National Gallery, The Laughing Cavalier will travel on to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Acquired by the 4th Marquess of Hertford in a sensational bidding war against his long-time rival James de Rothschild (1878–1957), The Laughing Cavalier has since featured in countless advertisements, theatrical productions, novels, and even the London taxi ‘knowledge test’. Despite his celebrity, we are no closer to identifying our charming sitter, whose richly embroidered doublet, complete with an intricate lace trim, does much to convey his wealth and fine taste. Instead, we are confronted with an enigma. The young man before us is neither laughing nor a cavalier, and yet there is something about his swaggering pose and amorous expression that lends itself to the romantic title he acquired around 1888.
The painting astounds with its bravura technique, defined by its fluid and expressive brushwork. In many ways the Cavalier’s exuberance reflects Hals’s skill in portraying relaxed, lively sitters. As the art historian Théophile Thoré-Bürger (1807–1869) commented in 1868, ‘no painter has ever captured more successfully the gaiety and slightly abrasive good humour of youth, happy to be in the world and fearing nothing’, an impression which certainly holds true for the Cavalier.
The Laughing Cavalier will remain at the Rijksmuseum from 16 February to 9 June 2024.
Back at the Wallace Collection, visitors will now find another charismatic figure occupying the place of the Cavalier in the Great Gallery. Attributed to Steven van der Meulen (d. 1563/4) and dateable to about 1560–64, this portrait of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (1532–1588), is believed to have entered the Collection through George Selwyn (1719–1791), a Member of Parliament and renowned eccentric, who likely presented it to his adopted daughter, Maria Emilia Fagnani, 3rd Marchioness of Hertford (1771–1856).
The fifth son of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland (1504–1553), and Jane Guildford (1508/1509–1555), Dudley was a key figure at the Elizabethan court and one of its most influential art patrons. Perhaps best known for his intimate and often tempestuous relationship with Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603), Dudley was highly ambitious and self-regarding, with a keen awareness of the power of portraiture for self-promotion.
This golden portrait is held to be the earliest surviving accepted painting of Dudley; although unsigned, a faint date on the hilt of his sword indicates that he was twentyeight at the time of its painting. Clothed in a lustrous gold doublet, studded with glimmering pearls and delicate white roses, Dudley regards the viewer with an air of assured confidence. His luxurious costume, complete with an Order of the Garter pendant suspended from a necklace of pearls and gemstones, bespeaks his status.
Painted during a period in which Dudley was enjoying particular favour with the Queen, following the death of his wife Amy Robsart in September 1560, this compelling portrait emerges as an expression of his eligibility for a highly advantageous marriage.
Steven van der Meulen and the tradition of portraiture at the Elizabethan court
A theatre of social manoeuvre and ever shifting alliances, the Elizabethan court was the epicentre of royal power. In a dazzling haze of feasting, dancing and drama, favoured courtiers grappled for influence, often with explosive results.
Upon her ascension to the throne in 1558, Elizabeth was faced with a kingdom divided by religion, isolated in European politics, and deeply suspicious of her status as a woman. In this setting, she adopted the power of portraiture to fashion herself into a glorious figurehead, defined by her perpetual virginity.
It was in this context that van der Meulen rose to prominence. While little is known of his early life, he was probably born in Antwerp, where he studied under Willem van Cleve the Younger in 1543. By 1560, he had arrived in England, where his sombre style, influenced by the Flemish painter Anthonis Mor (1519–1577), appealed to court patrons. In early 1561, he visited Sweden to paint King Erik XIV (1533–1577), a prospective bridegroom of Elizabeth, to whom the painting was presented in June of the same year.
Opposite Frans Hals, The Laughing Cavalier 1624 (P84)
Above
Attributed to Steven van der Meulen, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, c. 1560–64 (P534)
