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Sir Anthony Mildmay, Knight of Apethorpe, Northamptonshire
Nicholas Hilliardc. 1590–93
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
Framed by the folds of a circular tent, Sir Anthony Mildmay strikes a relaxed and confident pose, with his right hand resting on a cloth-covered table and his left grasping the hilt of his thin, double-edged sword called a rapier. Helmet, gauntlet, and leg coverings are scattered about, as if Mildmay has been interrupted in the act of putting on or taking off his armor. Despite its small scale, this portrait reveals Nicholas Hilliard’s emulation of (and rivalry with) life-size court portraiture, while his meticulous attention to detail and use of costly materials like shell gold reflect the refined world of courtly tournaments.
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Details
- Title: Sir Anthony Mildmay, Knight of Apethorpe, Northamptonshire
- Creator: Nicholas Hilliard (English, c. 1547–1619)
- Date Created: c. 1590–93
- Physical Dimensions: Unframed: 23.3 x 17.4 cm (9 3/16 x 6 7/8 in.)
- Provenance: Sir Anthony Mildmay, Knight of Apethorpe [c. 1549-1617] Northants, England by descent to his daughter, Mary, Countess of Westmoreland (née Mildmay), Mary, Countess of Westmoreland [1593?-1640] Northhamshire, England, by descent to her son, Sir Francis Fane, Sir Frances Fane [1611-1681], Fulbeck, Lincolnshire, England by descent to his son Sir Francis Fane, Sir Francis Fane [d. 1691], Henbury, Gloucestershire, England by descent to his son Henry Fane, Henry Fane [1669-1726], Brympton, Yeovil, Somerset, England by descent to his son, Henry Fane, Henry Fane [1703-1777], Wormsley, Oxfordshire, England by descent to his daughter, Mary Stapelton (née Fane), Mary Stapleton (née Fane) [c.1744-1835], Oxfordshire) by descent to her grandson, Rev. Hon. Sir Francis Jarvis Stapleton, Rev. Hon. Sir Francis Jarvis Stapleton [1807-1874], 7th Bt. Mereworth Rectory, Kent, England by descent to his son, Richard Talbot Plantagenet Stapleton, Richard Talbot Plantagenet Stapleton [1834-1899], Grey’s Court, Oxfordshire, England by descent to his son, Sir Miles Talbot Stapleton, Sir Miles Stapleton, Bart of Greys, [1893-1977], Henley-on-Thames, United Kingdom consigned to Christie's London for sale, (Christie’s, London, United Kingdom, May 11, 1926, lot 79 sold to S.J. Phillips for 510 gns.), (S.J. Phillips, London, United Kingdom, sold to Durlacher Brothers), (Durlacher Brothers, New York, NY sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Type: Portrait Miniature
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1926.554
- Medium: Watercolor on vellum, laid on card, mounted on wood
- Fun Fact: A little dog gazes adoringly at Mildmay who was by all accounts a very arrogant man.
- Department: European Painting and Sculpture
- Culture: England, 16th century
- Credit Line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
- Collection: P - British before 1800
- Accession Number: 1926.554
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