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Capture a timeless piece of history with this beautiful 18th century oil painting portrait of Lucy Montagu, the Countess of Guildford. Housed in a handsome frame, this stunning painting celebrates a unique individual and adds an elegant touch to any home.

Subject oval three quarter length portrait of the beautiful known young countess lady Lucy Montagu in quarter length front profile view facing directly at the viewer with powerful fascinated gaze. She is wearing a magnificant low cut top dress with a feather plumed hat that has pearls on, she has thick light brown fair hair, with dark blue eyes, cherry lips and light skin with rosy cheeks complexion she is projecting her grace, beauty & elegance in her posture pose. 

Title inscribed verso "Lucy Countess of Guildford".

Oil on canvas.

Circa 1734 early 18th century. 

Set in a rather decorative rectangle frame which enhances this work of art, the frame size being 43.5 cm high and 39 cm wide.

So collectible and sought after the subject portraiture matter.

Unsigned old master artist in the Circle of John Vanderbank. 

The sitter was the daughter of George Montagu, Earl of Halifax, and first wife of Francis, 7th Lord North and 3rd Lord Guilford, later 1st Earl of Guilford. Her son was Frederick Lord North, Prime Minister to King George III. Frederick asked George III on three occasions to be released from his duties as Prime Minister during the war of American Independence, the King refused him on each occasion. Following her death after giving birth to her second child in 1734, Francis North married secondly Elizabeth, Viscountess Lewisham (d. 1745), the widow of George Legge,Viscount Lewisham (1705-1732); and thirdly Katherine, Countess of Rockingham (d. 1766), widow of Lewis Watson, 2nd Earl of Rockingham (c. 1717-1745).
Another larger painting of her Lucy, Countess of Guilford was painted in three-quarter length by Sir Godfrey Kneller (sold Christie's London, 25 October 1968, lot 21) and also in full-length by Enoch Seeman (which is in another private collection).

Circle of John Vanderbank (9 September 1694 – 23 December 1739) was an English painter who enjoyed a high reputation during the last decade of King George 1’s reign and remained in high fashion in the first decade of King George II’s reign.] George Vertue’s opinion was that only intemperance and extravagance prevented Vanderbank from being the greatest portraitist of his generation, his lifestyle bringing him into repeated financial difficulties and leading to an early death at the age of only 45.

Vanderbank was born in London on 9 September 1694 into an artistic family, the eldest son of Sarah and John Vanderbank Snr, a naturalised Huguenot immigrant from Paris and, since 1679, well-to-do proprietor of the Soho Tapestry Manufactory and Yeoman Arras-maker to the Great Wardrobe, supplying the royal family with tapestries from his premises in Great Queen Street, Covent Garden. John Vanderbank senior was the leading tapestry weaver in England throughout his life and by the introduction of the lighter and less formal style, now referred to as chinoiserie, he exercised a powerful influence on the style of the Soho weavers.

John Vanderbank first studied composition and painting under his father and then the painter Jonathan Richardson, before becoming one of Sir Godfery Kneller’s earliest pupils in 1711 at his art academy in Great Queen Street, neighbouring his father's tapestry workshop. After Sir James Thornhill took over from Kneller in 1718, Vanderbank continued his studies there for two years before founding an academy of his own in 1720.

Provenance aquired from a high end auction in the Shires labels attached and now in the collection of Cheshire Antiques Consultant.

Condition report.

Offered in fine used condition. The front painting surface is in good overall order with some fine surface cracking but the paint is stable, craquelure and foxing stains in places, some small paint retouching in places to her chest & forehead also left side of background areas The canvas has been relined. The frame has various general wear, with chips, losses, stains in places commensurate with usage & old age.

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