Portrait of Lady Hill, probably Anne Hill
Date
1650s
Sitter
Anne Hill (1635 - 1661, British)
Creator
Unknown artist in the style of Peter Lely (1618 - 1680, Dutch) , Painter
Object type
Image reference
Material
Dimensions
height (canvas): 620mm
width (canvas): 500mm
height (frame): 850mm
width (frame): 690mm
width (canvas): 500mm
height (frame): 850mm
width (frame): 690mm
Description
Head and shoulders portrait of Lady Hill inclined slightly left, looking out at the viewer. Her dress is typical of the 1650s. She wears an orange, boned bodice, with a low, off the shoulder neckline, lined with gauzy material. Her sleeves are full, held together with gemstone clasps, revealing the chemise below. Accessorised with a blue shawl and pearl jewellery, with hair styled in curls and ringlets at the side of her head, and a flat top bun, just visible.
Painted in a feigned oval. In a pine frame with lap joints, and floral and bead-shot design.
This portrait is suspected to depict Abraham Hill’s (1630-1732) first wife, Anne Whitelocke, whom he married in 1657.
Anne Whitelocke (1635-1661) was daughter of Bulstrode Whitelocke (1605-1675), a prominent parliamentarian. She married Abraham in November 1657 and lived with him and his parents at their house in Lime Street. She was mother of their two children, Frances (1658-1736) and Richard (1660-1721).
Painted in a feigned oval. In a pine frame with lap joints, and floral and bead-shot design.
This portrait is suspected to depict Abraham Hill’s (1630-1732) first wife, Anne Whitelocke, whom he married in 1657.
Anne Whitelocke (1635-1661) was daughter of Bulstrode Whitelocke (1605-1675), a prominent parliamentarian. She married Abraham in November 1657 and lived with him and his parents at their house in Lime Street. She was mother of their two children, Frances (1658-1736) and Richard (1660-1721).
Transcription
Verso: Allen’s Depositories, Ltd. Bournemouth West. [in ink] Mrs Hill
The...[property of] Mrs Ursula Hill Norfolk Lodge Canford Cliffs Bournemouth
The...[property of] Mrs Ursula Hill Norfolk Lodge Canford Cliffs Bournemouth
Object history
Donated to the Society by the Davies family (descendants of the Hill family), January 2020.
Accessioned as a portrait of one of Abraham Hill's wives, research into the period fashion was undertaken to establish whether it depicted Anne Whitelocke or Elizabeth Pratt (1644-1721), and findings would suggest the former. Also accessioned without an artist attribution, however, clearly an imitator of Peter Lely (1618-1680). Lely’s portraits of the 1650s and 1660s emphasised satin decorated with drapery and a few jewels, and his women often appear in boned bodices that feature low, rounded necklines, as is visible here.
This research was funded by the Understanding British Portraits network. Additional resources can be found at the below links:
Blogpost: https://royalsociety.org/blog/2023/06/seeing-clearly
Google Arts & Culture exhibition: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/RQWhU6fgd4jbpA
Accessioned as a portrait of one of Abraham Hill's wives, research into the period fashion was undertaken to establish whether it depicted Anne Whitelocke or Elizabeth Pratt (1644-1721), and findings would suggest the former. Also accessioned without an artist attribution, however, clearly an imitator of Peter Lely (1618-1680). Lely’s portraits of the 1650s and 1660s emphasised satin decorated with drapery and a few jewels, and his women often appear in boned bodices that feature low, rounded necklines, as is visible here.
This research was funded by the Understanding British Portraits network. Additional resources can be found at the below links:
Blogpost: https://royalsociety.org/blog/2023/06/seeing-clearly
Google Arts & Culture exhibition: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/RQWhU6fgd4jbpA
Associated place
