An Unknown Man thumbnail 1
An Unknown Man thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level F , Case RMC, Shelf 1, Box G

An Unknown Man

Portrait Miniature
1663 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Portrait of a man, turned to right, looking to front and wearing armour and a neckcloth. Oval set within a rectangular frame. Features hatched, with a marked horizontal tendency, in brown and sanguine, blended with blue and grey in the shadows, white heightening in the eyes, all on a pale carnation ground; hair washed in pale brown, hatched and lined in darker colour, with the lights in pale brown and ochre gouache; the collar in grey wash worked over in white; the costume and armour in opaque washes of brown, ochre, grey and black, heightened with white and gold; background a sky and landscape in opaque washes of blue, grey, dark brown etc., hatched and stippled for the detail; on vellum put down on pasteboard.

Frame: A rectangular frame, probably modern, of black veneer over oak; a complex bolection moulding with flat sides; the glass held in a rebate at the front; a gold painted inner slip frame with a bevelled oval cut out for the miniature; a gilded ring-headed screw hanger.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleAn Unknown Man (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour on vellum put down on pasteboard
Brief description
Portrait miniature of an unknown man, dated 1663, watercolour on vellum, painted by Matthew Snelling.
Physical description
Portrait of a man, turned to right, looking to front and wearing armour and a neckcloth. Oval set within a rectangular frame. Features hatched, with a marked horizontal tendency, in brown and sanguine, blended with blue and grey in the shadows, white heightening in the eyes, all on a pale carnation ground; hair washed in pale brown, hatched and lined in darker colour, with the lights in pale brown and ochre gouache; the collar in grey wash worked over in white; the costume and armour in opaque washes of brown, ochre, grey and black, heightened with white and gold; background a sky and landscape in opaque washes of blue, grey, dark brown etc., hatched and stippled for the detail; on vellum put down on pasteboard.

Frame: A rectangular frame, probably modern, of black veneer over oak; a complex bolection moulding with flat sides; the glass held in a rebate at the front; a gold painted inner slip frame with a bevelled oval cut out for the miniature; a gilded ring-headed screw hanger.
Dimensions
  • Height: 71mm
  • Width: 59mm
Dimensions taken from John Murdoch Seventeenth-century English Miniatures in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: The Stationery Office, 1997.
Content description
Portrait of a man wearing armour, a castle or tower in the right background.
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
'M:S: Fecit/1663' (Signed in ink, on the back)
Credit line
Alan Evans Bequest, given by the National Gallery
Object history
Provenance: Alan Evans; by him bequeathed to the National Gallery, 1974; placed on indeterminate loan at the V&A.
Production
This miniature is catalogue number 114 in John Murdoch "Seventeenth-century English Miniatures in the Collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum" (1997).
Subjects depicted
Bibliographic reference
Murdoch, John. Seventeenth-century English Miniatures in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: The Stationery Office, 1997.
Collection
Accession number
EVANS.39

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJuly 3, 2003
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest