Circle of Adriaen van Stalbemt (1580-1662), The woman of Samaria at the well, oil on canvas, NT 2900115. ©Christie’s
In two recent sales at Christie’s South Kensington we have bought four pictures with a provenance from Ham House.
Pieter Neefs II (1620-after 1675) and follower of Frans Francken II (1582-1642), The interior of the cathedral of Our Lady, Antwerp, oil on panel, NT 2900121. ©Christie’s
The pictures – three oils and a watercolour – came from the estate of Barbara Judd (1926-2013). They had previously hung at Ham and had been given to Barbara Judd by her grandfather Sir Lyonel Tollemache, 4th Bt., and his son (her uncle) Cecil Tollemache, 5th Bt. The 4th Baronet and his son jointly gave Ham to the National Trust in 1948.
Follower of Pieter van Laer (1599-1642?), Travellers resting, oil on canvas, NT 2900116. ©Christie’s
The pictures are recorded as hanging in the Green Closet and in other rooms at Ham House. Many of the interiors at Ham are still more or less as they were in the seventeenth century, making the house an extraordinary baroque time capsule.
Richard Cosway, RA (1742-1821), Maria Caroline Duff, pencil and watercolour on paper, NT 2900117. ©Christie’s
Maria Caroline Duff (1775-1805) was the daughter of Louisa Manners (née Tollemache), who became Countess of Dysart and owner of Ham after the death of her childless brother Wilbraham in 1821. This picture was commissioned by Maria’s husband after her early death, poignantly depicting her ‘in apotheosis’.
May 29, 2015 at 16:00 |
No doubt you are aware of the eccentricity of Lyonel’s father?
May 29, 2015 at 16:15 |
Do you mean the Reverend Ralph Tollemache (1826-95)? I wasn’t, actually, but have just looked him up and learned about his tendency to choose antiquarian and exotic names for his numerous progeny. Rather amazing. But then there did seem to be a recurrent strain of eccentricity in the Tollemache family.
May 30, 2015 at 04:42 |
The timing is perfect! I was looking all week for paintings of church interiors from 17th century Netherlands and Flanders, preferably Calvinist. The interior of the cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp by Neefs is terrific.
June 1, 2015 at 08:17 |
Glad you like it. I think it is Catholic (I think the religious and political fault-line in the Netherlands tended to hover just north of Antwerp), but otherwise fits your bill 🙂