Description:

PORTRAIT OF A FEMALE DIGNITARY (CONTINENTAL SCHOOL, EARLY 17TH CENTURY) CIRCLE OF FRANS POURBUS THE YOUNGER
Oil on canvas, unsigned. Dated 1615 when the sitter was 28 years old, as indicated by the Latin inscription, the coats of arms probably those of Halsingland, Sweden. The subject in red dress with white collar meticulously adorned with lace; her right hand held to her chest holding a small pink carnation, a beribboned rosary spilling over a bible stationed at her right side, her left hand holding her gloves down at her side. Fine gold jewelry adorns her hands and a large, jeweled pendant hangs at her chest. The later ebonized, gothic style frame with the gilded date 1628 (probably a misinterpretation of the Roman numeral 28).

The sitter bearing resemblance to Constance of Austria who gave birth in January of 1616. Constance was a daughter of Charles II of Austria and Maria Anna of Bavaria. Her paternal grandparents were Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary (1503–1547). Anne was the only daughter of King Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and his wife Anne de Foix. Her maternal grandparents were Albert V, Duke of Bavaria and Anne Habsburg of Austria. Constance was also a younger sister of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, Margaret of Austria, Leopold V of Austria and Anna of Austria. Her older sister Anna was the first wife of King Sigismund III Vasa, King of Sweden and Poland. After her sisters death Constance and Sigismund were married on December 11, 1605.

The final photo of the lot is a documented portrait painting of a young teenage Constance by Frans Pourbus the Younger. The pose, articles, and clothing bear a close resemblance.

  • Dimensions: Stretcher: 46 x 34 1/4 in. (116.8 x 87 cm.), frame: 56 1/4 x 43 3/4 in. (142.9 x 111.1 cm.)

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Shipment is the full responsibility of the buyer. Selkirk will not be responsible for any loss, damage, theft, or otherwise responsible for any items left in Selkirk's possession fifteen (15) days after the sale. If arrangements for shipping have not been made and communicated within thirty (30) days, Selkirk reserves the right, at this time, to charge a storage fee of $10 per lot per day for furniture and large format items and $5 per lot per day for all other items, and within sixty (60) days, at its own discretion, sell any items left on the premises. Accumulated fees resulting from storage and insurance cost will be taken out of any proceeds.

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January 14, 2023 10:00 AM CST
St. Louis, MO, US

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