_- -,\ COUNTRY LIFE—-SEPTEMBER 3, 1981 
poses are contfentional, the
painting shows the artist’s abil-
ity to group his sitters easily,
and his disiirclinatioii to idealise
features is reflected in the plain,
jowly faces.
The portrait of Hen ry Pur—
cell ofaround 1695, is also lost,
but a drawing from life (Fig 2),
previously attributed to
Kneller, gives an impression of
the artist's competence as a
orauglitsrnan. Other famous
men represented here include
]ohn Dr den——whose long
nose, lioodbd eyes and unsmil-
ing face show Lcly's influence
——and Christopher Wren. The
portrait ofwren {Fig3], presen~
ted to the Royal Society in 1750
and still in its possession, is
characteristic of the painter's
earlier work: not adventurous,
but dignified, informative and
appropriate. TX-'ren’s fame as a
mathematician is commemor-
ated by the drawing he holds;
his - “iitccrurai achievement
by l_ nos: famous building.
The painting dates from the
niicl—1t39C's, \1.'l".ile Sr Paul’s was
still being built. The parts ofthe
Cathedral  were not com-
‘ plete—the vs-as: end, with the
towers on eizher side of the
portico, and the dorr:=2——differ
interestingly t:--3:: ~.\-hat was
eventually execu:e:E.
As Closte::':1a_':'s reputation grew lie was
tiven commissions. for i_ncreas-ingly elaborate
iportraits, and hts talent as an organiser of
5 igures into coherent groups emerged. l-Iis
=portrai1; The C.l::“;'.:'re.-1 -::‘_,lohn Taylor cffitfiorts
Paris, Kent {Fig 4-, another recent acquisition by
National Portr:-3.: Gallery, is a fine example
his abilities. The picture presents an
allegory. a play on the Taylor family
Farm: tandi-.i.: rs.-at t:':.¢ft£a.r {Fame is sweeter
:1 white rose} One girl distributes roses,
two ofthe sisrers he-id zhe wreath ofianie
er the head of dze eleest bro--tier. Bree:-;. at
age of 11 when he was alrmd-3; celebrated as
muwan (he was lazet re ':-ecotne a '.‘=-“-:._-i;.—_:'._=,-1:
atl ttician). The azrfstavoicls pompc-5::-' :3"
bhsning a sense ofcenra-c: ':e:w-een spectator
sitters, and shows serzsirfrifi‘ in cc‘-:1:-e}‘i_ng
_.__;_
ee ab
Harmonia! as Ceciha patron sa.u:|.t of musu:
UY ASHE, THE SISTER OF ONE OF 5
'#!l'TERM_~\_\T’E ChOSEST FHIlENI)S. lfihe is ‘
‘  ‘_ __ H 59,- “_,__,_,,__,.._L'- . -idi'l|Lnl4ll..¢»..4 -
. . ._ - "” . ,‘_'-...a.\.% l
4~Tl-IE CHILDB EN OF .IOlLl\l TAYLOR, OF BIFRONS PARK
.,/F’
the relative status of the children and in the li ht
touch with which the allegory is handledrj
In 1698 Closterrnan set out on a En opean
tour, under the atronage of two young
noblemen. One ofp these was James Stanhope,
whose father was English Resident in Madrid,
and it was to Spain, then. seldom visited from
England, that the artist went first. The
exhibition includes a striking but stiff and
strange portrait of Stanhope senior (lent from
the family house, Chevening) which was
intended to impress the Spanish Court with
Closterrnan’s abilities.
The resulting studies of the King and
Queers: are, unfortunately, lost. Prom Madrid
Cl0S‘.t:1':'i31'i travelled to Rome, where he spent
.—:»"-5 years. and apart from his study of Italian
painting gained experiezte for his later activities
as an art-dealer. He was back in England by
july I700. The artist‘s second sponsor on his
travels had been the brilliant young olitician
and philoso hical writer Anthony Aslilley, 3rd
Earl of Sl'i:1fFiSl)ll1'y, and it was in this nobleman
that he found his most important patron on his
return to En land. He executed a number of
works for Sghaftesbury, of which three oil
paintings are included in this display. Lady
Ashe (Pi 5), the sister of one of Q,losterrnan’s
closest fiends, is painted in a grand manner
new to the artist: she is presented as Cecilia,
patron saint of music, in an acidly-coloured
version of the Bolognese style.
The very picture ofthe Earl and his brother
Maurice Ashley (Fir 6) reflects the patron's
interest in plannin the work. The two young
men, both of them classical scholars, are
depicted wearing something
like Greek dress and standin
in something like classics
. poses, in front of the Temple
of Apollo. Intended as a
statement of the neo-Platonic
doctrine of the relationship
between nature and the divine,
the picture has a strikirig
landscape background, and it
is l3'1IE!‘CSIil‘1g that in his Second
C ha r.r:rsrs Shafresbury refers to
tiiscussic-ns about nature with
Closterrnan in St G.iles's
woods. All the same, the
picture cannot be accounted a
total success. Bold it may
be, but it is also slightly
absurd.
Less is known about
Closterrnan’s later years. I--le
achieved great pros erity—-
though hardly, one feells, from
such works as his lumpish
portrait of Queen Anne——and
died in 1711. Though some
of his works are recorded in
country houses and public
collections, others remain to
be rediscovered. This ex-
hibition should eneoura '-
fnrther research, and
‘ ..h-=-...'_ £1 n -
v—r
fit”