• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Summer 2007 The ‘Ashbourne’ Portrait De Vere Society Newsletter Summer 2007 The ‘Ashbourne’ Portrait De Vere Society Newsletter The ‘Ashbourne’ Portrait New research on the painting’s provenance by Jeremy Crick and Dorna Bewley strengthen the case that it is the lost portrait of Edward de Vere by Cornelius Ketel. All photographs by Jeremy Crick. Foreword Introduction Regular readers of this newsletter will recall that my The ‘Ashbourne’ portrait of Shakespeare first came to research into the Trentham family proceeds on the the public’s attention in 1847 when the man who had hypothesis that, if any of Edward de Vere’s literary discovered it, the Reverend Clement Kingston, issued papers have survived until the present, following the an edition of a mezzotint of the painting for sale to a Trentham line offers the best chance of discovering public that had become besotted with what George them. They may also recall the closing lines of my Bernard Shaw would later term ‘bardolatry’. article in the last issue which said, “In the third and final At the time, Reverend Kingston was a part of this Trentham family history, we will explore all master at the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in the many houses in England where these papers may Ashbourne before being sacked from the school for have ended up as we follow the Trentham line to its charging his day pupils double the fee that he was extinction.” When these words were written, I never authorised to do. The painting has been known as the suspected that a couple of interesting discoveries I’d ‘Ashbourne’ portrait of Shakespeaere ever since. The made in the course of this research would amount to painting itself was never made public at this time and more than a few paragraphs in the proposed essay. it took M. H. Spielmann F.S.A., a distinguished art Yet the more that I began following this line historian, years of research to track the original down. of enquiry the more I realised that two direct links I’d Spielmann wrote up his analysis of the painting and discovered between the Trenthams and the Cokaynes provided all the information he had discovered about of Ashbourne offered tantalising new clues to one of the painting’s provenance in the April 1910 and May- The Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Ashbourne – with insets showing the plaque and, above the main door, the Cokayne family shield and crest adapted for the school badge. the most hotly contested icons in the intense struggle August 1910 editions of the fine art magazine, The between Oxfordian and Stratfordian scholarship – Connoisseur. Spielmann strikes a skeptical tone overpainted to hide the well-known de Vere family Thousand of words have already been the ‘Ashbourne’ portrait. throughout his two articles not only about certain device of a boar underneath. He discovered the written analysing this painting since Spielmann’s first I would still be at the starting gate in this line features within the painting, but also about the scratched-out traces of an original inscription and article appeared – we will not attempt to summarise of enquiry had it not been for the remarkable efforts Reverend Kingston’s account of how the painting cast reasonable doubt upon the authenticity of the all that has been discovered but the bibliography at of fellow DVS member Dorna Bewley. We have was discovered by a friend of his languishing in an actual inscription upon the canvass. And he the end of this essay provides a complete list of both worked jointly on this research and I cannot thank antique shop in London. Subsequent research by conducted a most convincing comparative analysis of primary and secondary sources that Dorna and I have Dorna enough for her research skills, her valuable ourselves will more than confirm Spielmann’s doubts the facial characteristics of the ‘Ashbourne’ with consulted during our research. We will, instead, deal insights and for unstintingly sharing her research about the reliability of Kingston’s story. other known portraits of Edward de Vere. All with the issue of the painting’s provenance – which material. We have studied as much published The painting again came to the public’s subsequent analysis of the painting has not only has received much less attention – and offer some information as we could find on this portrait to ensure attention in January 1940 when Charles Wisner confirmed but amplified these original findings of new evidence regarding the rediscovered coat of arms that our discoveries take note of the research already Barrell published his now celebrated report in the Barrell particularly with regard to the close likeness upon the painting. undertaken on the subject. ‘Scientific American’ of his x-ray analysis into the of the sitter to Edward de Vere. We believe that the many discoveries we’ve ‘Ashbourne’ which had by then been acquired by the But perhaps the most exciting discovery in The provenance made regarding the provenance of the painting will be Folger Shakespeare Library. Citing a mass of Barrell’s published x-rays showed that, below the In charting the provenance of the Ketel portrait of of great interest to Oxfordians and, in deciding to evidence uncovered by this novel method of peering inscription – ‘AETATIS SUAE . 47 / A° 1611 (declaring Edward de Vere, it is first necessary to determine publish our research now, it has not been possible, for beneath the surface of a painting to look at all the the sitter to be aged 47 in the year 1611 thus matching when it was painted. With this information, it would reasons of space, to publish the final part of the history underpainting, his conclusion that the portrait was, in the known chronology of William Shakspere of be possible to determine the precise house in which of the Trentham family in this issue. However, as we fact, of Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, caused a Stratford) – was hiding a completely overpainted, the portrait may have begun its tortuous journey to contend that the ‘Ashbourne’ portrait was an important sensation in literary circles. And the directors of the “full shield of arms, surrounded by decorative Ashbourne. The most recent and convincing dating heirloom of the Trentham family, we believe it is Folger Shakespeare Library, desperate to avoid mantling and a scroll that evidently once bore a analysis of the ‘Ashbourne’ has been published by essential to understand the family relationships of the Barrell’s conclusion gaining universal support, have family motto.” Barrell also discovered the monogram Katherine Chiljan in her Winter 2003 article in the Trenthams during the course of the 1600s and the been faced with some serious allegations from a of the painter – CK – in this same area of the picture ‘Shakespeare Oxford Newsletter’ entitled, “Dating the geographical landscape in which they lived. The bare number of researchers (the work of Barbara Burris, and advanced convincing evidence which identified Ashbourne Portrait - Oxfordian evidence and recent essentials of this will be provided here, but I would who has had complete access to the Folger’s files, him as Cornelius Ketel who was recorded in 1604 by lab analysis suggests 1597.” In this article, Katherine urge readers who are interested to visit my website stands out here) regarding their less than honest his friend Karel van Mander as having “also made a directly addresses – with compelling arguments – the where they can acquaint themselves with the full story: ‘restoration’ work on this portrait ever since. portrait of the Duke of Oxford (Edward de Vere).” previous attempt at dating the portrait by Barbara www.jeremycrick.info/TrenthamFamily–1.html and The great domed head of the man dressed in While one may smile at a Continental’s Burris (Shakespeare Matters, Winter 2002) who begin reading at the section marked ‘Part III’ nobleman’s attire, Barrell announced, had been understanding of English titles of nobility, the noted placed the work between 1579 and 1580 through a For copyright reasons, we have not been able painted over a normal hairline in order to make it English art historian George Vertue has also referred detailed analysis of the sitter’s costume. to publish a reproduction of the ‘Ashbourne’ portrait look like the classic Droeshout engraving in the First to a Cornelius Ketel portrait of the Earl of Oxford. No The only thought that Dorna and I would here. To view the portrait, visit: www.shakespeare- Folio of Shakespeare. The device on the signet ring other portrait of Edward de Vere by Ketel has ever like to add to Katherine Chiljan’s article is the fact oxford.com/ashbour2.htm on the thumb of the sitter’s left hand had been been discovered. that, in 1596, Elizabeth Countess of Oxford, her 24 25 Summer 2007 The ‘Ashbourne’ Portrait De Vere Society Newsletter Summer 2007 The ‘Ashbourne’ Portrait De Vere Society Newsletter brother ffrancis Trentham and Ralph Sneyd Countess Elizabeth which had remained at of Keele Hall and Thomas Cokayne, heir of the Already three working hypotheses were purchased King’s Place in Hackney (see the last Hedingham, including Edward’s papers. Ashbourne Cokaynes, the senior branch of the presenting themselves regarding the passage of the issue) which became the family home of Edward de If the painting ever graced the walls of the Cokayne family of whom the Rushton Cokaynes portrait from the Trenthams to the Ashbourne Vere and his Countess during the last eight years of ‘great dyning chamber’ at Rocester Abbey were the cadet branch.4 Cokaynes. Firstly, and most elegantly, if Elizabeth his life 1. If Chiljan’s 1597 date is correct, then it (mentioned thus in ffrancis Trentham’s will)3, its It is important to bear in mind at this point Countess of Oxford, widow of Edward de Vere, had would seem a racing certainty that Edward de Vere passage down the years before ending up at just how close Ashbourne is to Rocester – it is less made a gift of the portrait to her beloved sister commissioned the portrait from Ketel following the Ashbourne would seem to be lost in the mists of time.

Load more

  6

Copy Link