Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1594-1612) eldest son of King James VI & I

Location

Country: Ireland
City: Dublin
Place: British Embassy

Paul [Pauwels] van Somer, portrait painter, was probably born in Antwerp. He is first recorded working in Amsterdam in 1604 and was in Leiden by 1612 and in Brussels in 1616. By December of that year, he had settled in London, where he remained for the rest of his life, living in St Martin’s Lane, near Trafalgar Square. Although attributing works to Somer is problematic, he is known to have painted portraits of Queen Anne of Denmark, King James I and Prince Charles during his time in England, as well as making a posthumous copy of a portrait of Prince Henry. Somer died just five years after his arrival and was buried at the Church of St Martin-in-the-Fields. He left a widow named Cornelia.

People

Charles I (1600 - 1649)

Places

Subjects

royal portrait, man, 17th century costume, armour, boots, ruff, helmet, riband, feather (fashion accessory), staff, Order of the Garter, King, Prince, sword, table cloth, table (as Subject)

Materials & Techniques

canvas, oil, oil painting

Artist

Paul van Somer (c1576 - 1621)

Title

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (1594-1612) eldest son of King James VI & I

Date

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

height: 221.00 cm, width: 137.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from Christie's, 15 May 1953

Inscription

bl: HENRY Pr. OF WALES.

Provenance

Collection of Conservative MP, landowner and estate manager John Tollemache, 1st Baron Tollemache (1805-1890) of Peckforton Castle, Cheshire; collection of the Trustees of The Tollemache Estates and on display at Peckforton Castle, Cheshire; by whom sold through Christie’s, London, ‘Pictures by Old Masters’ sale, on 15 May 1953 (Lot 149), for £21.0.0 (20 guineas); from which sale purchased by Agnew’s Gallery, London, on behalf of the Ministry of Works

GAC number

2176