Description
The identity of the sitters remains unknown, although the marble floor and mantelpiece, the Transylvanian prayer rug on the table, and the silk clothes all point to the family’s considerable wealth. Furthermore, the richly carved chest at the right supports Chinese vases and Japanese lacquered boxes, a reference to the flourishing Dutch trade with Asia. Music making often took place at home, and its appearance here also signifies the harmoniousness of the family.
Provenance
James A. Stuart-Wortley-Mackenzie, First Baron Wharncliffe (1776-1845), 1833;; John Smith, London;; William Theobald, London, 1842 (sale: Christies’s, London, May 10, 1851, no. 76);; private collection, Yorkshire;; E. E. Cook, Bath;; [Scott & Fowles, New York], sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1951.
Accession Number
1951.355
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
Framed: 124.5 x 142.5 x 7 cm (49 x 56 1/8 x 2 3/4 in.); Unframed: 98.7 x 116.7 cm (38 7/8 x 45 15/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Gift of the Hanna Fund