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Description

Portrait of Sir Thomas Smith of Hill Hall, Theydon Mount (1513-1577), aged thirty-three, half length, standing in a fur trimmed gown and flat cap, with his right hand resting on a globe, and holding gloves in his left hand oil on panel, the frame with all round inscription “LOVE AND FEARE AETATIS SUAE XXXIII CERNITVR EFFIGIES FACTIS VERA AT PENICILLVS CORPORIS ATQVE VMBRAE TANTVM SIMVLACHRA REPONIT”'Love and Feare. Aetatis suae XXXIII': Love and fear were themes present in Smith's writing, the inscription identifies the painting as having been done in his 33rd year 'Cernitur effigies factis vera, at penicillus Corporis atque umbrae tantum simulachra reponit': 'A likeness (of him) is seen (here), true to the facts; but the paintbrush preserves only a semblance of his body and soul.' We are grateful to Professor Mary Beard for her assistance with the translation73 x 60cm Footnote: Provenance: Captain D G Prinsep, The Royal Artillery, and by descent Sir Thomas Smith (1513-1577), a scholar, diplomat and parlamentarian, was born in Saffron Walden, Essex, the second son of John Smith of Walden by Agnes, daughter of John Charnock of Lancashire. He was educated at Queens' College, Cambridge. In 1547, he became the Provost of Eton. He rose to be Secretary of State to two Tudor monarchs. During the reign of Elizabeth I, he continued to be prominently employed in public affairs. The present portrait is a copy after the original portrait, dating to circa 1546, which is now in the collection of the Saffron Walden Town Council. A later version by Thomas Hudson (1701-1779) survives at Queens' College, Cambridge.

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