Portrait of Sir Francis Crane

Peter Oliver

Summary

A reproduction produced by the Vasari Society of a drawing by Peter Oliver. It is a portrait of a man set within an oval background. The details of his clothing are only lightly drawn in and his head is the only part in colour. The man's torso is turned slightly towards the right, but his head and eyes look straight out. He has curly hair, a moustache and a pointed beard. He is wearing a lace collar and has a pendent around his neck. Text from the accompanying booklet produced by the Vasari Society: "No. 39 PETER OLIVER (b. 1594; d. 1648) PORTRAIT OF SIR FRANCIS CRANE British Museum, 1849-3-28-3 (formerly in the Duke of Buckingham's Collection at Stowe). Black chalk, with red chalk on the face. 17.9 x 14 cm. (7 x 5 1/2 in.). Bust portrait in an oval. Inscribed Sr Francisco Craen Secret, del ord. de St George et Me de Tapisserÿ. The inscription, originally in black chalk, has been gone over in ink by a later hand. Sir Francis Crane was the last lay Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, the badge of which he wears in this portrait, and director of the tapestry manufactory established by him at Mortlake with the aid and patronage of James I. He went to Paris for his health in March, 1636, but died there in June of the same year. This drawing was engraved in Manning's 'Surrey', Vol. 21, as by Van Dyck. It was then in the possession of John Simes. Obviously it is not the work of Van Dyck, but of a miniature painter, and the attribution to Peter Oliver, first made by W. H. Carpenter, is probably correct. L. B."