Late 17th-Century English School, Portrait Of Robert Bedford, Yorkshire

Late 17th-Century English School, Portrait Of Robert Bedford, YorkshireThis late 17th century English oil painting depicts Robert Bedford of Crow Nest, Dewsbury, Yorkshire, a man who appears to embody a fascinating moment in English social history when inherited land, provincial gentility, and expanding commerce began quietly to overlap. Painted around 1695, when Bedford was likely in early middle age, the work presents him as a thoughtful, self made provincial gentleman navigating a changing world. In this quiet

the whisper of a turning page and the flicker of a dwindling candle

He’s particularly well-admired for his interior scenes

which evokes thoughts of a bright Mediterranean sky

It’s also interesting that the artist has made several visible modifications to the piece including removing grapes from the foreground

Medium: Oil on canvas boardOverall size: 34½” x 36½” / 88cm x 92cmYear of creation: c

Note the winding passage of water

We may never know the true story and it’s certainly a very interesting piece

Medium: Oil on panelOverall size: 35½” x 43½” / 90cm x 110cmYear of creation: 1941

rendered in a gentle gradient of tints

It bears the name ‘Kate’ and could perhaps be identified with further research

his reviews were a little brighter

Overall size: 40” x 34½” / 102cm x 87cm