- Sussex 01403 700858
- Winchester 01962 861789
- London 020 4548 4738
- Sussex 01403 700858
- Winchester 01962 861789
- London 020 4548 4738
Portrait of Margaret Wale (1640-1674), Daughter of Sir William Wale and wife of Sir Edward Seymour 4th Bt. (1633-1707), three-quarter length, standing, wearing a light brown dress with a blue cloak, leaning on a stone pedestal
inscribed 'Margaret Daughter of Sr. William Wale First Wife to the Speaker Seymour / Sr. Pr. L' (lower right)
oil on canvas
126 x 102cm
in an ornately carved late George III gilt-wood frame
The present work will be on view at Cromwell Place on 26th & 27th September
| Estimate: | £10,000 - £15,000 |
| Hammer price: | £9,000 |
Provenance
The sitter's family and by descent to Miss J. M. Seymour, East Knoyle House, Wiltshire;
Sale, Christie's London, 19th January 1945, (lot no. unknown);
Frederick Poke Esq., thence by descent
Footnote
Images of the present work have been seen by Catherine MacLeod, Diana Dethloff and David Taylor, authors of the forthcoming catalogue raisonne on Sir Peter Lely. In their opinion the painting is likely to have been executed by Lely's studio, possibly with Lely's hand rendering some of the work to the sitter's head. The composition is directly comparable to a number of Lely's portraits, in particular that of Lady Elizabeth Howard, Lady Felton (1656-1681), painted in circa 1676 and held in the collection at Ickworth House, Suffolk.
Margaret's father, Sir William Wale (d.1676) was Alderman of London and became Master of the Vintner's company in 1660. he held the office of High Sheriff of Leicestershire between 1671-1672 and lived in North Lappenham in Rutland.
On 7th September 1661 Margaret married Sir Edward Seymour of Berry Pomeroy MP, 4th Baronet and descendant of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset. Seymour was a renowned political orator and was twice appointed Speaker of the House, the first non-lawyer to hold the position for some time. They had two sons Edward, 5th Baronet (1663-1741) and William (1664-1728) who rose to the rank of Lieutenant-General.
Condition Report
The canvas has been relined. The paint surface is dirty with scattered surface flecks of staining. Traces of light craquelure throughout, stable. Discolouration to blues in the sitter’s robe and a repaired tear, visible to the naked eye, lower right. Ultraviolet reveals retouching to a surface repair, upper right and a smaller surface repair, upper left; a small area of retouching to the sitters dress off the lower, central border and to the aforementioned repair to the sitter’s sleeve. Held in an ornate carved wooden frame with some repairs and losses to decoration.