Follower of Peter Paul Rubens, An 18th Century English School Antique Oil on Canvas Portrait of George Villiers, 1st Earl of Buckingham (1592-1698)

An antique oil on canvas portrait of George Villiers, 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire, after the original by the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens.

Unsigned but undertaken by an accomplished hand.

The sitter portrayed half-length with long hair, lace collar and embroidered jerkin.

The painting bears a label verso with a description "George Villiers, First Earl of Buckingham, Born at Brooksby, Leicestershire, August 28th 1592 - Assasinated in Portsmouth August 23rd 1628"

George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, KG (28 August 1592 – 23 August 1628), was an English courtier, statesman, and patron of the arts. He was a favourite and self-described "lover" of King James VI and I. Buckingham remained at the height of royal favour for the first three years of the reign of James's son, King Charles I, until he was assassinated.

Sir Peter Paul Rubens (28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens's highly charged compositions reference erudite aspects of classical and Christian history. His unique and immensely popular Baroque style emphasized movement, colour, and sensuality, which followed the immediate, dramatic artistic style promoted in the Counter-Reformation. Rubens was a painter producing altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects. He was also a prolific designer of cartoons for the Flemish tapestry workshops and of frontispieces for the publishers in Antwerp.

Provenance - Purchased from a European collection.

Condition - Please refer to the images. Unframed. Relined. The paint surface has age-related craquelure and some minor scuffing and minor scratches. A further detailed condition report is available upon request.

Size - Approx. 74 cm x 59 cm (29 1/5" x 23 1/4").