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62 - Michael Dahl (Swedish/British, 1659-1743) Portrait of Anne Spencer (née Churchill), Countess of Sunderland (1683-1716) inscribed 'Lady Sunderland' (lower left) oil on canvas Unframed: 110 x 104 cm. (43 1/4 x 41 in.) Framed: 127 x 121 cm. (50 x 47 3/4 in.) Sale; Minerva Auctions, Rome, 12 March 2013, lot 51 (as Sir Godfrey Kneller); Where purchased by the present owner. Property from a Distinguished U.K. Private Collection Although Dahl was born in Stockholm, he spent most of his career in England painting portraits of aristocracy and royalty. We can assume that the woman in the present portrait is Anne Spencer (née Churchill), Countess of Sunderland (1683-1716), who married Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sutherland, based on other depictions of her from this period.1 The arrangement of the figure and positioning of the vibrant drapery is typical of Dahl. See for example his portrait of Lady Anne Coventry, c. 1713, currently in the National Trust collection (NT 353023). In both portraits, the women are turned on a slight angle, with one arm resting on a surface, their fingers slightly overlapping one another, and the other hand gripping a small bouquet, in which the flowers are handled with loose fluid brush strokes. One can also observe that in many of his portraits, the sitter’s are presented with very defined and often quite angular facial features, in which the nose, full lips and eye areas are particularly accentuated. For example, the handling of the facial features of Lady Sunderland in the present painting can be closely compared to another portrait by Dahl, held by The Met Museum (no. 56.224.1), in which the shadowing around the nose and eye areas are particularly similar. Dahl also painted portraits of members of Anne Spencer's family. He produced a large portrait of her sister, Sarah Duchess of Marlborough, which was last sold at Christie's in 1993. Additionally, a full-length portrait of her son, Charles Duke of Marlborough (1706-1758), executed in 1737, which was last sold at Sotheby's New York in 2005.2 References: 1See for example a portrait of the Countess of Sunderland by Sir Godfrey Kneller circa 1710 held by The National Portrait Gallery (NPG 803) 2 W. Nisser, 'Michael Dahl and the Contemporary School of Painting in England', 1927, p. 66
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Estimation
£6,000 - 8,000 (€7,100 - 9,600)Sale fees
Michael Dahl (Swedish/British, 1659-1743) Portrait of Anne Spencer (née Churchill), Countess of Sunderland (1683-1716) inscribed 'Lady Sunderland' (lower left) oil on canvas Unframed: 110 x 104 cm. (43 1/4 x 41 in.) Framed: 127 x 121 cm. (50 x 47 3/4 in.) Sale; Minerva Auctions, Rome, 12 March 2013, lot 51 (as Sir Godfrey Kneller); Where purchased by the present owner. Property from a Distinguished U.K. Private Collection Although Dahl was born in Stockholm, he spent most of his career in England painting portraits of aristocracy and royalty. We can assume that the woman in the present portrait is Anne Spencer (née Churchill), Countess of Sunderland (1683-1716), who married Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of Sutherland, based on other depictions of her from this period.1 The arrangement of the figure and positioning of the vibrant drapery is typical of Dahl. See for example his portrait of Lady Anne Coventry, c. 1713, currently in the National Trust collection (NT 353023). In both portraits, the women are turned on a slight angle, with one arm resting on a surface, their fingers slightly overlapping one another, and the other hand gripping a small bouquet, in which the flowers are handled with loose fluid brush strokes. One can also observe that in many of his portraits, the sitter’s are presented with very defined and often quite angular facial features, in which the nose, full lips and eye areas are particularly accentuated. For example, the handling of the facial features of Lady Sunderland in the present painting can be closely compared to another portrait by Dahl, held by The Met Museum (no. 56.224.1), in which the shadowing around the nose and eye areas are particularly similar. Dahl also painted portraits of members of Anne Spencer's family. He produced a large portrait of her sister, Sarah Duchess of Marlborough, which was last sold at Christie's in 1993. Additionally, a full-length portrait of her son, Charles Duke of Marlborough (1706-1758), executed in 1737, which was last sold at Sotheby's New York in 2005.2 References: 1See for example a portrait of the Countess of Sunderland by Sir Godfrey Kneller circa 1710 held by The National Portrait Gallery (NPG 803) 2 W. Nisser, 'Michael Dahl and the Contemporary School of Painting in England', 1927, p. 66
Auction details
Old Master & 19th Century ArtAuction house
Chiswick Auctions +44 2 08 99 24 442 bids@chiswickauctions.co.ukDelivery is optional. You can use the carrier of your choice. The stated price does not include the lot price or the auction house fees.