FDA-P.43-2010
Parts
Object number
FDA-P.43-2010
Object type
Identification
Title
Elizabeth Carey, Viscountess Mordaunt of Avalon
Title Type
assigned by cataloguer
Description
Three-quarter length painted portrait of a woman in a landscape
Comments
Although painted in fashionable silks, adopting a pose borrowed from the portraits of van Dyck, Elizabeth Carey returns our gaze with an unusually delicate and tender expression.
Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas Carey, second son of the Earl of Monmouth. In 1657 she married John Mordaunt. That year, Mordaunt promised 400 to 500 men to support the exiled King Charles II. At Mordaunt’s subsequent trial for treason there were an equal number of votes for conviction and acquittal. He was spared by the casting vote of the president of the court and survived to be rewarded with a viscountcy after the Restoration.
The diaries of Elizabeth, Viscountess Mordaunt were published in 1857. Two of her sons studied at Eton College. She was described as:
A young beautiful lady of a very loyal spirit and notable vivacity of wit and humour, who concurred with [Mordaunt] in all honourable dedications of himself – whose beauty rendered her not vain, and whose wit ever ripened into wisdom.
Artist Peter Lely was born in Westphalia. He relocated to England in 1641 and succeeded Sir Antony van Dyck as Principal Painter to King Charles II. His reputation has been dampened by his own success, as lesser copies were confused with his output. This example demonstrates the artist’s true aptitude.
Elizabeth was the daughter of Thomas Carey, second son of the Earl of Monmouth. In 1657 she married John Mordaunt. That year, Mordaunt promised 400 to 500 men to support the exiled King Charles II. At Mordaunt’s subsequent trial for treason there were an equal number of votes for conviction and acquittal. He was spared by the casting vote of the president of the court and survived to be rewarded with a viscountcy after the Restoration.
The diaries of Elizabeth, Viscountess Mordaunt were published in 1857. Two of her sons studied at Eton College. She was described as:
A young beautiful lady of a very loyal spirit and notable vivacity of wit and humour, who concurred with [Mordaunt] in all honourable dedications of himself – whose beauty rendered her not vain, and whose wit ever ripened into wisdom.
Artist Peter Lely was born in Westphalia. He relocated to England in 1641 and succeeded Sir Antony van Dyck as Principal Painter to King Charles II. His reputation has been dampened by his own success, as lesser copies were confused with his output. This example demonstrates the artist’s true aptitude.
Description
Content (person)
Dimensions
height (sight size): 1257mm
width (sight size): 1000mm
height (frame): 1504mm
width (frame): 1243mm
depth (frame): 85mm
width (sight size): 1000mm
height (frame): 1504mm
width (frame): 1243mm
depth (frame): 85mm
Materials & techniques note
Oil on canvas
Physical description
Carved gilt frame
Production
Person
Lely, Peter (Sir), 1618 - 1680 (Artist)
