{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O127487"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O127487/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH7635/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH7635/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BH7635","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O127487/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O127487","accessionNumber":"29-1867","objectType":"Oil painting","titles":[{"title":"An Unknown man (formerly called Henry Stubbs)","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"A half length portrait of a man against a dark background. He is shown in a 17th century doublet with a skull cap and a falling ruff.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"oil paint","id":"AAT15050"},{"text":"canvas","id":"AAT14078"}],"techniques":[{"text":"oil painting","id":"AAT178684"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Oil on canvas","categories":[{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[{"text":"British School","id":"x30967"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2006BH7635"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"B","id":"THES304876"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"oil paintings","id":"AAT33799"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"17th century","earliest":"1600-01-01","latest":"1700-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Melmoth Walters","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"26.25","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"estimate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"23.875","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"estimate","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Measurement taken at time of assessment prior to BH decant - Frame Dimensions (mm): H-879 W-785 D-47;\nPainting Dimensions (mm): not measured"}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions taken from <i>Summary catalogue of British Paintings</i>, Victoria and Albert Museum, 1973","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Henry Stubbes famous Puritan\r\nDivine 06 July 7th 1678 Alt[?] 73\r\nDrawn by Cornelius Jonson","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Label on back, faded paper inscribed in ink"}],"objectHistory":"Given by Melmoth Walters, 1867\n\nHistorical significance: This painting was acquired as a portrait of the clergyman and ejected minister Henry Stubbs (1605/6-1678). A note on the object file observes that the dress dates the painting to about 1620-30 and that as the sitter is middle aged it is unlikely to be of Henry Stubbs. The title of the portrait was changed in 1929 to <i>Portrait of a man in the costume of abt.1625</i> to reflect this.\r\n\r\nIn this half-length portrait the sitter is shown against a dark background turning to his left slightly to look out of the painting. He wears a black cloak over his right shoulder, which is tied at the throat with a black ribbon and a gold cord. A falling ruff of thin layers of fine layers of linen edged with lace fall to the neckline of the cloak. Ruffs of this style started to be worn in the 1620s and 1630s. This style can be seen in the portrait of Robert Hitcham by an unknown artist dating to circa 1620 (National Portrait Gallery, NPG 467) as well as <i>Portrait of an unknown man</i> at the V&A (accession number 28-1867). Under the cloak a doublet and sleeves of black damask can be seen. On his head is a black skull cap with a white brim. These caps were relics of the sixteenth century and often worn in specific professions including doctors or, in the case of the portrait of Robert Hitcham at the NPG, judges. The fact that this sitter is shown wearing such a skull cap might have lead to his former identification of Henry Stubbs. \r\n\r\nThis painting was acquired as anonymous British School and remains with this attribution. There is a softer observation in the depiction of the figure, which is introduced into British Portraiture in the opening decades of the seventeenth century through the work of the Dutch immigrant Mytens (1590-1647) who had arrived in London in 1618 and Scottish portrait painter George Jameson (1589-1644). This is achieved partly through a looser application of fine brushstrokes to build up the gradations of tone in the skin and show the fall of light on the lace trim and silk of the doublet. These qualities suggest that the artist was combining contemporary trends in portraiture in this painting.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Oil Painting, 'An Unknown Man (formerly called Henry Stubbs)', British School, 17th century","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"portraits","id":"AAT15637"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["29-1867"],"accessionNumberNum":"29","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1867,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2006-08-31","availableToBook":true}}