Beschreibung:

British School (Fourth Quarter 18th/First Quarter 19th Century) "Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton (1573-1624)" casein and gouache on paper laid down on glass sitter identified, dated "1624" and monogrammed "GJ" upper left, verso inscribed at length in script with biography of the sitter. Matted, glazed and framed. 11-1/8" x 8", framed 13-3/8" x 10-1/4" Notes: The charming and dashing Wriothesley was initially a favorite at the Court of Elizabeth I before earning the Queen's wrath by entering into a secret marriage with one of her maids of honor - an act the queen deemed dishonorable and disrespectable (though jealousy may have had a role in her reaction). He was briefly interred in the notorious Fleet Prison, as was his pregnant wife, a harsh punishment that afforded him time to reflect upon the dangers of earning the queen's displeasure. Upon his release he somewhat foolishly joined forces with Robert Devereaux, Lord Essex in the latter's ill-fated rebellion against Queen Elizabeth. Banished to the Tower of London, he was sentenced to death for his role in the treasonous act but the penalty was eventually commuted to life imprisonment. It was not until James I ascended the throne that he was freed, and once again immersed himself in the intrigues of court life, eventually being named a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. Wriothesley was a vocal champion of the arts, and was most notably a patron of William Shakespeare; the narrative poems Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece were dedicated to him.