A Guide to the Pictures at Powis Castle Dr Peter Moore A Guide to the Pictures at Powis Castle by Dr Peter Moore Contents A Guide to the Pictures at Powis Castle 3 The Pictures 4 The Smoking Room 4 The State Dining Room 5 The Library 10 The Oak Drawing Room 13 The Gateway 18 The Long Gallery 20 The Walcot Bedroom 24 The Gallery Bedroom 26 The Duke’s Room 26 The Lower Tower Bedroom 28 The Blue Drawing Room 30 The Exit Passage 37 The Clive Museum 38 The Staircase 38 The Ballroom 41 Acknowledgements 48 2 Above Thomas Gainsborough RA, c.1763 Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis III as a Boy See page 13 3 Introduction Occupying a grand situation, high up on One of the most notable features of a rocky prominence, Powis Castle began the collection is the impressive run of life as a 13th-century fortress for the family portraits, which account for nearly Welsh prince, Gruffudd ap Gwenwynwyn. three-quarters of the paintings on display. However, its present incarnation dates From the earliest, depicting William from the 1530s, when Edward Grey, Lord Herbert and his wife Eleanor in 1595, Powis, took possession of the site and to the most recent, showing Christian began a major rebuilding programme. Herbert in 1977, these images not only The castle he created soon became help us to explore and understand regarded as the most imposing noble very intimate personal stories, but also residence in North and Central Wales. speak eloquently of changing tastes in In 1578, the castle was leased to Sir fashion and material culture over an Edward Herbert, the second son of extraordinarily long timespan. They also William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, provide a fascinating insight into the art and Anne Parr, sister of Catherine of portrait painting itself – allowing us Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII. Nine to see how different people at different years later, in 1587, Edward managed times wanted their likenesses to be to purchase the castle and the estate, preserved in very different ways. securing an impressive ancestral seat for The collection also contains fine future generations of the Herbert family. examples of other categories of painting, During the course of the following from religious and classical subjects, four centuries, the Herberts transformed to battle scenes, still-life paintings Powis into a lavish and comfortable and landscapes. Completing this rich home, but not without having to endure assortment, the Clive Museum houses a their fair share of hardship. While they rare collection of images relating to the earned great fortunes, they also amassed early period of British India, including new debts. Though they gained titles portraits of those who shaped this and honours, they suffered exile and colonial culture as well as native Indians disgrace at various times too. The who found themselves part of it. picture collection accumulated through Arranged according to the visitor route these years reflects this turbulent family around the castle, this publication lists history. It provides a unique glimpse into the pictures in the order that they will the lives of those who have shaped and typically be encountered, thus serving as developed the story of Powis Castle. a companion guide. It provides readers with a concise introduction to each work, noting the key facts and figures and offering some interpretation. It is very much hoped that this will encourage and stimulate further exploration of Powis Castle’s wonderful art collection. Dr Peter Moore 2015 4 A Guide to the Pictures at Powis Castle The Pictures N.B. All pictures, unless otherwise stated, are oil on canvas. The pictures appear here in the order in which they are encountered on the visitor route. Where old in-house inventory numbers are present on the works, they have been included here to aid identification; where they are not, the prefix (--) is used. The Smoking Room (19) British School Thomas Parr, ‘Old Parr’ (?1483–1635), 17th century NT1180907 Thomas Parr was a Shropshire farm labourer who rose to fame in the 17th century on account of his unfathomably old age. Legend has it that when he died in 1635 he was 152 years old. Shortly before his death he was brought to London by the Earl of Arundel where he became an object of curiosity and was widely known as ‘Old Parr’. He was presented to the king and enjoyed something of a celebrity status. He was the subject of a popular pamphlet titled ‘The Old, Old, Very Old Man or the Age and Long Life of Thomas Parr’. He did not survive life in the city for very long, though he clearly made a big impact; he was buried in Westminster Abbey where his small white marble gravestone can still be seen in the centre of the south transept. (..) After Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–92) Mary Darby, Mrs Thomas Robinson, ‘Perdita’, c.1775 NT1181074 Mary Darby was a famous actress, best known for playing the role of Perdita in the 1779 production of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale. She gained notoriety as the first public mistress of King George IV while he was still Prince of Wales. Her affair with him ended in 1781 amidst much publicity; after threatening to publish the prince’s letters, she returned them in exchange for £5,000 and a small annuity. This painting derives from one of the many portraits of her by Joshua Reynolds, and may have been copied from an engraving. The theatricality of her costume and the flamboyant red drapery behind her seems highly fitting for her popular reputation and character. The Pictures 5 (116) Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy (1588–C.1655) Portrait of an Unknown Man (117) Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy (1588–C.1655) Portrait of an Unknown Man Nicolaes Eliaszoon Pickenoy was a portrait painter of the Dutch ‘Golden Age’ – a period of the 17th century when the Netherlands led the way in global trade, art, science and technology. Many of Pickenoy’s portraits depict figures who made their fortunes during these years. The unknown man and woman in these two portraits have not been identified, although they probably fit into this category. Their fine clothing appears of the quality and style that would befit such status. It is possible that they were citizens of Amsterdam, where the artist enjoyed a highly successful career. On loan to the National Trust from the Powis Estates Trustees. The State Dining Room (1) George Romney (1734–1802) Rebecca Clive, Mrs Robinson (1760–95), late 18th century NT1181063 Rebecca Clive was the eldest daughter of Robert, ‘Clive of India’. She married General John Robinson in 1780. This painting is probably the full-length portrait of her that the artist George Romney began but never finished, which was sold for 20 guineas in 1805. The canvas was later cut down to a three-quarter-length and completed by an unknown artist named ‘Mr Brown’, at the request of General Robinson. Romney was originally from Cumbria, but he settled in London in 1762 where he rose to fame as one the most fashionable portrait painters of the day. (See No. 113 for another likeness of this sitter). (2) Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723–92) Lady Henrietta Herbert, Countess of Powis (1758–1830), 1777 NT1181064 Lady Henrietta was the daughter of Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Powis. In 1784 she married Edward, 2nd Lord Clive, who was later created Earl of Powis in 1804. It was through Lady Henrietta that the Powis estates passed to the Clive family. She travelled to India with her daughters in 1798 during her husband’s tenure of the Governorship of Madras and stayed there until 1801. During this time she toured the southern regions of the country and formed a collection of Indian curiosities which are now on display in the Clive Museum at Powis. The hat and lace scarf she is shown wearing here do not appear in the 1778 engraving after this work; these elements appear to have been added at a later date. 6 A Guide to the Pictures at Powis Castle (3) George Romney (1734–1802) The Hon. Charlotte Clive (1762–95), c.1783–1785 NT1181065 Charlotte Clive was the second daughter of Robert, ‘Clive of India’. Her godmother was Queen Charlotte. She travelled widely in Italy, where portraits of her were produced by notable artists including Angelica Kauffman, Charles Grignion (No. 81) and Hugh Douglas Hamilton (No. 105). She died unmarried. Sittings for this portrait are recorded in 1783, and a payment of £42 is noted as being ‘received of Miss Charlotte for her portrait half-length’. A letter also survives which requests for ‘Miss Clive’s portrait to be sent to John Robinson, esq [her brother-in-law], Denston Hall, Suffolk’. (65) FranÇois De Troy (1645–1730) Lady Mary Herbert, Viscountess Montagu (1659–1744/45), late 17th century NT1180944 Lady Mary Herbert was the eldest daughter of William, 1st Marquess of Powis. She married three times: firstly to the Hon. Richard Molyneux, secondly to Francis Browne, 4th Viscount Montagu (d.1708), and finally to Sir George Maxwell (d.1720). In this portrait she is attended by an Egyptian girl, who is shown bringing her a jewelled coronet. It is thought that the painting was produced while Mary was in exile with her father, who remained loyal to the deposed King James II after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. (66) FranÇois De Troy (1645–1730) Lady Lucy Herbert (1668–1744) as a Vestal Virgin, c.1692–1693 NT1180945 Lucy Herbert was the fourth daughter of William, 1st Marquess of Powis – a leading Catholic nobleman whose portrait (No.