LOT DETAILS

Materials:

oil on canvas

Size Notes:

125 x 104 cm.; 49¼ x 41 in.

Edition:

Coventry was Johnson's most assiduous client and sat for the artist a number of times during the course of his life. Painted in 1631, at the height of both the artistâ??s career and Coventryâ??s power, this is one of the finest of all Johnsonâ??s portraits of his great patron and depicts him in peerâ??s robes with his hand resting on the purse of the Great Seal. Born in 1578 and educated at Balliol College, Oxford, and the Inner Temple, Coventry was a prominent statesman and one of the foremost English lawyers of the early seventeenth century. In 1625 he was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, an office equivalent to that of Lord Chancellor, and it was in this capacity that he delivered King Charles Iâ??s reprimand to the House of Commons the following year, declaring that 'liberty of counsel' alone belonged to the House and not 'liberty of control', an action which presaged Charlesâ??s decade long Personal Rule.

Markings:

PORTRAIT OF THOMAS, 1ST BARON COVENTRY (1578-1640), LORD KEEPER OF THE GREAT SEAL

Condition:

Excellent overall condition, only a few very minor retouchings. Paint surface in beautiful state. Dirty varnish. In a new seventeenth-century style ebonised frame. The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE INCLUDED IN THE CATALOGUE.