The Countess of Pembroke
Oil on canvas
75 x 54 in.
2019
Wilton House
The official portrait of the Countess of Pembroke, wife of Lord Herbert, the 18th Earl of Pembroke, was painted for the collection at Wilton House, the family’s country seat for over 400 years. It hangs alongside ancestral portraits by van Dyck, Reynolds and Raeburn. The collection, which rivals that of major museums, also includes works by artists such as Raphael, Titan, Rembrandt and Rubens. Given the setting, the composition was conceived in a traditional aesthetic, and Lady Pembroke’s attire speaks to both the past and present.
The books and papers on the table reference Lady Pembroke’s designs for the restoration of many of Wilton’s rooms.