Charles Jervas (c.1675-1739) Portrait Of A Noblewoman From The Early 18th Century

A fine early 18th-century English portrait, richly colored and sensitively rendered. The elegant brunette, depicted three-quarter length in a landscape, appears exquisitely undressed, luxuriously attired in the brightly colored silk garments that were very fashionable at the time. She leans wistfully on a crumpled red velvet cushion, perched on a carved pillar, before a rock. Behind her is a vast wooded landscape. One hand caresses her cheek, while the other clasps a midnight-blue silk shawl, which she wears over a pale gold gown adorned with a jeweled clasp and a white chemise. Her hair is styled in loose curls, some framing her face, while others cascade over her bare shoulders. Charles Jervas (c. 1675 – 1739) was an Irish portrait painter, translator, and art collector. Born in County Offaly, Ireland, around 1675, Jervas studied in London, England, as an assistant to Sir Godfrey Kneller between 1694 and 1695. Painting portraits of the city's intellectuals, including personal friends such as Jonathan Swift and the poet Alexander Pope (both now in the National Portrait Gallery, London), Charles Jervas became a popular artist, often cited in the works of the literary figures of the day. Jervas gave Pope painting lessons at his house in Cleveland Court, St. James's, which Pope mentions in his poem "To Belinda on the Rape of the Wick," written in 1713 and published in 1717 in "Poems on Several Occasions." With his growing reputation, Jervas succeeded Kneller as principal portrait painter to King George I in 1723 and lived in London until his death in 1739, despite long Stays in Ireland. High-resolution images available upon request. International delivery available. Canvas: 127 cm x 102 cm. Frame: 144 cm x 118 cm.