Provenance

Spink & Son Ltd.

Spink & Son USA Inc.

Explore selected works

Against a landscape, a pale-skinned man walking hunched over as he carries a large bundle like pillows wrapped in a blanket on his back nearly fills this vertical painting. Close to us, the man walks to our right with his head down and his eyes closed or downcast under straight, furrowed brows. He has a wide, prominent nose, a brown beard, and close-cropped hair. With muscled forearms arms raised overhead, he clutches the forest-green cloth tied around the bundle, which has cloth with dark green stripes against cream white. The man wears a red, waist-length tunic over an ankle-length, bright white garment, which splits up the side to show his muscular legs and bare feet. He strides across a moss-green rock. On the far side of the rock on which he stands, to our left, a sand-brown path curves away from us to the wide, arched opening of a building. The structure has gray walls, possibly stone, with goldenrod-yellow paneling around the second story, and a red roof. At the arched opening, a couple dozen people, tiny in scale, gather around a person who stands and gestures with arm extended over a second person lying on a cloth. The four corners of the cloth are suspended by four ropes, barely visible, where the cloth had been lowered to the ground from above, presumably from the four people on the roof. The people in the crowd wear robes in mustard yellow, navy blue, plum purple, dark red, and white. Another building and a stone tower rise beyond the structure. To our right, the land dips down to the horizon line, which comes about a quarter of the way up the painting. People walk along the distant path that passes in front of a house at the foot of a steel-blue, rocky outcropping. A leafy tree grows where the road bends out of sight, and bands of white clouds stretch across the pale, muted turquoise sky.
Netherlandish 16th Century, The Healing of the Paralytic, c. 1560/1590, oil on panel, Chester Dale Collection, 1943.7.7

The Healing of the Paralytic

Netherlandish 16th Century · c. 1560/1590 · oil on panel ·  Accession ID  1943.7.7

The sculpture is a detailed relief of a profile portrait. The man depicted has shoulder-length hair and is wearing a garment. His head is turned slightly to the right, and his facial features are defined. The relief is circular and made of bronze, with a warm patina highlighting the design. Engraved text surrounds the portrait. The surface has an uneven texture, giving it an aged appearance. A small hole at the top suggests the piece may have been mounted or worn.
Niccolò Fiorentino, Lorenzo de' Medici, il Magnifico, 1449-1492 [obverse], c. 1490, bronze, Gift of The Circle of the National Gallery of Art, 1987.34.2.a

Lorenzo de' Medici, il Magnifico, 1449-1492 [obverse]

Niccolò Fiorentino · c. 1490 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1987.34.2.a

The sculpture is a bas-relief bronze medallion showing a seated figure with long hair, presumed to be female, holding a plant or flower. The figure is under a tree with branches extending outwards. The bronze gives it a brownish-gold color with detailed textures on the figure's hair, clothing, and the tree's leaves. The small, round piece resembles a coin or medallion, with inscriptions partially visible at the edges. The craftsmanship emphasizes intricate details, focusing on the serene natural scene.
Niccolò Fiorentino, Florence Seated under a Laurel Tree [reverse], c. 1490, bronze, Gift of The Circle of the National Gallery of Art, 1987.34.2.b

Florence Seated under a Laurel Tree [reverse]

Niccolò Fiorentino · c. 1490 · bronze ·  Accession ID  1987.34.2.b

This painting shows a seascape with a tall sailboat visible on the left. The horizon is low in the image, creating a vast sky. In the distance on the right, there is a faint outline of another sailboat. The color scheme is soft, including shades of blue along and the beige of the underlying paper showing through. The sky has soft, rolling clouds, and the green-blue sea shows gentle waves. The brushstrokes in the painting are loose and visible.
John Constable, A Seascape with Two Sail Boats, watercolor and graphite (in the sailboat at left) on beige laid paper, Joseph F. McCrindle Collection, 2009.70.99

A Seascape with Two Sail Boats

John Constable · · watercolor and graphite (in the sailboat at left) on beige laid paper ·  Accession ID  2009.70.99

The image shows a woman standing in profile, facing right. She is hunched forward with her hands clasped under her cloak. Her facial expression is contemplative. Her hair is light brown and wavy, partially covered by a blue hood or scarf. She wears a large brown cloak, a long checkered dress, a blue headscarf, and dark shoes. The background is plain with a light, textured surface, indicating an indoor setting.
Joshua Cristall, Young Woman in a Kerchief and Cloak at Hastings, 1807, watercolor on laid paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, 2011.56.1

Young Woman in a Kerchief and Cloak at Hastings

Joshua Cristall · 1807 · watercolor on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2011.56.1

The image shows a metallic coin with a detailed embossed portrait of a person. The portrait displays the upper half of the body, focusing on the face and upper shoulders. The person's head is slightly turned to the right as they gaze to the left. The facial features are well-defined, with smooth lines outlining the eyes, nose, and mouth, and the lips slightly parted. The hair is long and wavy, cascading around the face. The person is wearing what appears to be formal attire, possibly a cloak or robe, with neat sculpted lines indicating folds or layers. The border of the coin features inscriptions in a classic font. The background is plain to emphasize the portrait and inscriptions on the coin.
British 17th Century, The Maryland Medal: Cecil Calvert, 1605-1675, 2nd Baron of Baltimore 1632, 1st Lord Proprietary of Maryland and Avalon [obverse], 1644, silver, Gift of Paul Mellon, 1983.80.1.a

The Maryland Medal: Cecil Calvert, 1605-1675, 2nd Baron of Baltimore 1632, 1st Lord Proprietary of Maryland and Avalon [obverse]

British 17th Century · 1644 · silver ·  Accession ID  1983.80.1.a

The image shows a sculpted medal featuring the bust of a woman with curly hair and a subtle expression. The sculpture is made of a metallic material, appearing bronze or copper in color. The woman wears a string of pearls around her neck. Surrounding the bust is an inscription that reads: "PREDICTI + D NA . ANNA . ARUNDELLA . PUGNEL" and continues with "ET . OPTIMA . XATIV . COMITX ..". The craftsmanship of the medal includes detailed relief work on the hair and facial features.
British 17th Century, The Maryland Medal: Anne Arundell of Wardour, c. 1610-1649, Countess of the Holy Roman Empire, Wife of Lord Cecil Calvert 1628, Baroness of Baltimore 1632 [reverse], 1644, silver, Gift of Paul Mellon, 1983.80.1.b

The Maryland Medal: Anne Arundell of Wardour, c. 1610-1649, Countess of the Holy Roman Empire, Wife of Lord Cecil Calvert 1628, Baroness of Baltimore 1632 [reverse]

British 17th Century · 1644 · silver ·  Accession ID  1983.80.1.b

The image shows a landscape with dense vegetation, trees, and foliage. The brushstrokes are loose and fluid, creating movement and texture. The color palette includes earthy browns, muted greens, and touches of blue. The forms of trees are more defined in the foreground, becoming more abstract in the distance where colors blend.
Thomas Girtin, The Edge of a Wood, 1800/1801, watercolor over graphite on laid paper, Gift of Donald Stone, 2022.40.57

The Edge of a Wood

Thomas Girtin · 1800/1801 · watercolor over graphite on laid paper ·  Accession ID  2022.40.57