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Portrait of Bridget Astley, Lady Knatchbull (1570-1625), three-quarter length, in a black dress with a white ruff, her right arm resting on a chair with a parrot on its armrest
Description Circle of Robert Peake the Elder
Portrait of Bridget Astley, Lady Knatchbull (1570-1625), three-quarter length, in a black dress with a white ruff, her right arm resting on a chair with a parrot on its armrest
later inscribed upper left: Bridget Astley / Wife of Sr Norton / Knatchbull Kt / ob. 1625
oil on canvas
107.1 x 84.5 cm.
Condition Report To request a condition report for this lot, please email oldmasterconditionreports@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Literature Inventory, 1749, in the hall;
Inventory, 1849, p. 5, in the library;
Catalogue of Portraits, 1920, no. 12;
A.T. Bolton, ‘Mersham le Hatch’,
Country Life, 26 March 1921,?photographed in the dining room, p. 371;
H. Avray Tipping, ‘Mersham le Hatch’,
Country Life, 8 August 1925, in situ, p. 218;
H. Avray Tipping,
English Homes, Late Georgian, 1760-1820, London 1926, in situ, p. 131;
C. Hussey,
English Country Houses, Mid Georgian, 1760-1800, London 1984, in situ, p. 102.
Notes Bridget Astley was the daughter of John Astley of Allington Castle and Maidstone and his second wife Margaret, illegitimate daughter of Lord Thomas Grey. Thomas Grey was a significant court figure for much of the sixteenth century, greatly assisted at first by the fact that his mother’s sister Elizabeth was Anne Boleyn’s aunt. His influence in court was helped further by his first marriage to Katherine Champernowne, governess to the young Princess Elizabeth and her confidante when she came to the throne. In 1558 Astley was appointed Master of the Jewel House, and went on to serve as M.P. in nine parliaments. He owned substantial property in Kent, including Allington Castle. He also wrote the first English treatise on horsemanship.
Bridget became the second wife of Sir Norton Knatchbull (see lot 105) by August 1592 and died on 4th November 1625.