About this lot

Description

Studio of Cornelius Johnson, 17th Century Portrait of Sir Thomas Coventry, 1st Baron Coventry of Aylesborough (1578-1640) in his robes, Keeper of the Royal Seal oil on canvas 125 x 99cm (49 x 39in)
Other Notes: This portrait is of Thomas Coventry (1578-1640) when Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, an office he held from 1625 until his death. He was painted in this pose by Cornelius Johnson several times at different ages but this work appears to be closely based on the version by Cornelius Johnson, which is now in Tewkesbury Town Hall, Gloucestershire. A similar composition of the sitter at an older age, dated 1639, is in the National Portrait Gallery, London. A prominent lawyer, politician and judge, Thomas Coventry studied at Balliol College, Oxford, and entered the Inner Temple in 1594. He became MP for Droitwich in 1621 and Attorney General in that year. It was his appointment to Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and the title of Baron Coventry of Aylesborough that made him one of the most powerful men in England of his time.
Oil on canvas which has been lined. The canvas is in plane with stiff tension. The painting appears to have a warm pink-brown priming layer which is visible in areas of abrasion and losses. There are numerous small losses at the junctions of cracks, although the paint layer appears stable and these were presumably not filled and retouched following lining. There is extensive retouching mainly located in the background covering cracks and abrasion. The retouchings are generally well matched to the original paint layers. The varnish is clear and semi-glossy. There are scattered matte patches across the surface. The frame is in a good condition overall.

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