Antique Oil Portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh 18th Century — in the Manner of Holbein the Younger

Antique Oil Portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh 👑

English School, 18th Century — in the Tudor Court Manner of Holbein the Younger

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👤 Subject & Medium

An evocative antique portrait painting of Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1553–1618)—courtier, writer, soldier, and explorer. Executed in oil on a wood panel, this is a later historicising work in the Tudor court idiom, plausibly 18th century, created to evoke the authority, refinement, and ceremonial presence associated with England’s golden age.

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🎨 Composition & Technique

Raleigh is presented half-length, with a poised, commanding bearing that reads immediately as “court portrait.” He wears a richly realised Elizabethan ensemble: a deep red doublet, crisp lace ruff, and a dark hat crowned by a plume feather. The painter’s handling prioritises clarity and finish—controlled modelling in the face, convincing flesh tones, and close attention to costume structure and ornament. The overall effect is formal, dignified, and unmistakably aristocratic—ideal for interiors where historic portraiture provides both visual authority and atmosphere.

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📜 About the Sitter

Few names carry the same blend of history and legend as Sir Walter Raleigh. A figure synonymous with Elizabethan ambition and cultural confidence, Raleigh’s life combines courtly proximity to power with exploration, intellectual life, political drama, and an ultimately tragic end. In portrait form, he becomes an emblem of cultivated daring—particularly suited to a library, study, or formal reception space.

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🏛️ Historical Significance

The Tudor court aesthetic associated with Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/98–1543) remains one of the most enduring languages of status and connoisseurship in historic portrait collecting. Encyclopedia Britannica+1

In the United States, Holbein’s “Sir Thomas More” at The Frick Collection (New York) is a benchmark of Tudor portrait prestige and institutional collecting. Frick Collections+1
The National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.) includes Holbein pictures in the Andrew W. Mellon Collection, reinforcing the category’s blue-chip museum standing. National Gallery of Art
The J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles) likewise holds works by Holbein (including portrait drawings), underscoring his lasting stature within major collections. Getty+1

For collectors, this context explains why the “Holbein manner” remains compelling: it signals Tudor authority, cultivated taste, and historic gravitas that reads instantly in a refined interior.

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🖌️ About the Artist

Unsigned; English School. Best described as in the manner of Hans Holbein the Younger—meaning it consciously adopts the visual language associated with Tudor court portraiture: frontal authority, refined restraint, and crisp articulation of costume and insignia.
Because Holbein died in 1543 and Raleigh was born later, the Holbein reference is stylistic rather than literal. Encyclopedia Britannica

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✍️ Signed

Unsigned

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🪞 The Frame

Presented in a highly decorative aged gilded wood frame, selected for sympathetic period character and the way it elevates the portrait’s courtly palette—creating a confident, “finished” presence and ready-to-hang presentation.

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📏 Dimensions (Framed)

29.5 cm high × 24.5 cm wide
Depth: 3.2 cm

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🧾 Provenance

Accompanied by verso labels and handwritten notes, with documentation recording provenance through Woolley & Wallis. The work is further associated with a private southern shire collection (as noted in accompanying materials). Subsequently curated and offered by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD and exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum; documentation retained to verso, enhancing the painting’s archival presentation.

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✅ Why You’ll Love It

✅ A sitter of real cultural weight — a true Elizabethan icon with enduring collector appeal
✅ Holbein-manner Tudor court style — formal, refined, and instantly “old world” in presence
✅ Oil on panel — a classic, collectible support with authentic period character
✅ Strong decorative impact at a manageable scale — ideal for curated walls, libraries, and studies
✅ Ready-to-hang presentation — the aged gilded frame completes the country-house look
✅ Documented provenance notes — retains verso labels and written records including Woolley & Wallis
✅ High visual authority — the ruff, red doublet, and commanding gaze read beautifully across a room

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🧰 Condition Report

Offered in fine, preserved antique condition. The painted surface presents well overall, showing foxing/staining, age craquelure, and minor areas of touch-up consistent with age and careful historic stewardship. The gilded frame shows expected wear—scuffs, small losses, and surface marks—commensurate with age.