"Portrait Of A Gentleman C.1725 Attributed To Michael Dahl (1659-1743)"
"Portrait Of A Gentleman C.1725 Antique Oil Painting attributed to Michael Dahl (1659-1743)"This striking large-scale portrait attributed to Michael Dahl, one of the foremost painters in England at the time is noteworthy in its quality.
It is an exquisite example of the English 18th century Grand Manner portrait. The sitter is portrayed in a standard gentlemanly pose for the period but it is striking in its study of the sitter’s attitude and in the graceful and natural manner of certain elements. There are many exquisite elements, for example the cuffs, which have been rendered in a free and florid style and are very painterly.
The portrait is attributed to Michael Dahl and it can be dated to circa 1725 based on the sitter’s costume and hair. This is a fine quality work and is contained within a fine period gilded frame of excellent condition.
An old label on the back indicates “Admiral Vechell (?)”.
Michael Dahl (1659-1743) was born in Stockholm and was a painter of exceptional talent. He studied with David Ehrenstrahl, the leading Swedish portrait painter of his day, before embarking on a tour of Europe in 1682 that included London, Paris and Rome. He first visited London and it is thought that he spent some time in Kneller's studio. A number of Dahl’s compatriots saw England as being relatively stable and prosperous compared to many European countries, and more welcoming than France, for example, of the Lutheran faith then prevalent in Sweden. In 1698 he was offered the position of painter to the court of the Swedish King, Charles XII, but preferred to stay and settle permanently in London. There, he established an independent studio and by 1700 became the most successful painter in England, second only to Godfrey Kneller. His Scandinavian origins ensured patronage from Prince George of Denmark, and Queen Anne and members of the English court and he worked for the Duke of Somerset painting the Petworth 'Beauties' in the late 1690s. in 1712 he charged £50 for a full length. He died in London in 1743 leaving two daughters (his only son, also a painter, died about three years earlier).
Provenance:
Sold Christie's, 15 april 1994, lot 94
Sold Christie's, 20 november 1987, lot 83
Measurements:
Height 125cm, Width 99 cm unframed
Height 147cm, Width 121 cm framed
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