John Vanderbank (1694-1739) Portrait of a lady with a spaniel

John Vanderbank (1694-1739) Portrait of a lady with a spaniel.

Portrait of a young lady, three-quarter length, wearing an ivory silk gown, the bodice trimmed with jewels, her hair dressed with pearls, standing on a classical terrace of a country estate, her outstretched hand about to pat the head of her spaniel seated beside her on a red velvet cushion on a plinth. Signed 'Vanderbank Fecit'. Circa 1735. Stencil mark on the stretcher on the reverse.

Oil on canvas in a carved wood and gesso frame.

This charming composition follows in the tradition of celebrating beloved canine companions by featuring them in portraits alongside their owners. From the 17th century, the popularity in England of the spaniel had grown amongst the wealthy and upper classes and in art the pet dog was often used to symbolise the traits of loyalty and fidelity in marriage. As the sitter is a young woman and wearing white, with rings shown on her fingers, this may be a portrait to celebrate her engagement or marriage.

John Vanderbank (1694-1739) was born in London, the eldest son of John Vanderbank Senior who was the owner of the Soho Tapestry Manufactory. He was one of the first students at Godfrey Kneller's academy, later taken over by Sir James Thornhill. In 1720 Vanderbank opened his own academy with Louis Chéron, holding life classes with both male and female models, but in 1724 fled to France to avoid debtors prison. George Vertue ( Vertue, notebooks, 3.98) noted that 'he liv'd very extravagantly, keeping a chariot horses a mistress drinking and country house a purpose for her'. In Vertue's opinion, ( Vertue, notebooks, 5.98) after Kneller's death, Vanderbank could have been the leading portrait painter of his day had he not lived so extravagantly. Vanderbank's portraits are distinguished by his rich use of colour, particularly in the flesh tones. His sitters included Sir Isaac Newton (1725, RSA and Trinity College, Cambridge) and Queen Charlotte ( 1736, Goodwood House, Sussex) and he was also commissioned to illistrate 'Don Quixote' by publishers J and R Tonson in the original Spanish which appeared in 1738 with sixty-eight plates after Vanderbank.
Vanderbank died in London, December 1739, aged forty-five.

Literature:
Ellis Waterhouse, 'Painting in Britain 1530-1790', 1957.

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This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Condition report