Circle of Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (Bruges 1561-1635 London)

Portrait of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, three-quarter-length, seated by a table, wearing black, with the Order of the Garter, with a fine jewel bearing a cameo portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, holding the Lord Chamberlain's white staff of office

inscribed 'Lord Tres^r Cecil' (lower right)
oil on panel
112.5 x 88 cm, framed 130 x 105 cm

Provenance:
With Lane Fine Art, London, where purchased in 1980.
Sold by the above, Bonhams, 3 July 2019, lot 3.
Deceased estate, UK.

Footnote:
The present composition uses as its source the full-length portrait of Lord Burghley which now hangs at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire. Strong dates this latter painting to circa 1596-97 but suggests that it may not be the original of this portrait type, which he identifies as Type C (see: R. Strong, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits, London, 1969, vol. I, pp. 32-33 and vol. II, pl. 61).

Condition Report

The three panels are slightly bowed. Some of the supports verso are loose or taped on. There are two further hairline cracks visible to the left panel, and one to the right panel, the longest approximately 30cm in length. Rubbing is visible to the framing edges. Chips and associated paint loss to the edges of the central panel edges. There are several further scattered dents, scratches and losses. There is an old repaired damage to the lower left corner. Spots of surface dirt and a slightly discoloured varnish. Some old discoloured retouching is visible to the naked eye, mainly to robe and along panel edges. UV reveals further scattered retouchings throughout, including some touches to face and ruff, panel edges, background and elsewhere.