William Bate act.1783-c.1845
Portrait of Anne 'Ninon' de l’Enclos (1620-1705), 1808
Painted on an oval enamel on copper base
Mounted in the lid of a rectangular tortoiseshell and gold-lined snuffbox, 6.2 x 8.3 x 2.5 cm.
Oval, 4.5 x 3.7 cm.
Inscribed, signed and dated on the counter-enamel: Ninon de L’Enclos / Painted by Wm. Bate/ 1808
Provenance: Gorry Gallery, June 2018, where purchased by a collector
This snuffbox is decorated with a very fine bust-length portrait of Ninon de l’Enclos, the celebrated French writer, patroness of the arts and courtesan, who was notorious for her free-thinking ideas, wit, independence and great beauty. She wears a blue silk cloak and pearl necklace with a pearl fillet in her hair. Ninon was known as “the woman who never aged” and was a friend of Molière and Racine. Her memoirs and letters give valuable insights into the cultural and social life of 17th century France. Bate's enamel would have been painted after a miniature portrait of her which has been attributed to Jean Petitot (1607-91) (Musée de Louvre, no.35715) which was based on a contemporary seventeenth century portrait of l’Enclos by Louis Ferdinand Elle, the elder (1612-1689) (Château de Versailles). This portrait was derived from Van Dyck's portraits of his mistress.
Bate was an expert enamellist and he specialized in working from engravings of full-scale oil portraits. He would have known these portraits from engravings or from Henry Bone's (1755-1834) enamel which was painted in 1807 (Wallace Collection, G51). The headdress and pose are closest to Bone's version. There is an almost identical enamel to Bate's portrait in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace (RCIN 4753) also dated 1808 which is most likely to have been painted by Bate. It was given as a present to George V by Queen Mary and came from the collection of the Duke of Cumberland. William Bate was born into a family of Dublin jewellers and watchmakers where enamelling was extensively used in decoration. He worked in Dublin as a watchmaker and painter of miniature portraits on enamel. These would have been framed in lockets or incorporated into snuffboxes. He spent prolonged periods working in London where he exhibited miniatures at the Royal Academy exhibitions from 1799-1827. William Bate was appointed Painter in Enamel to Princess Elizabeth and Frederick, Duke of York. His two sons W.H. Bate and Thomas were enamellers.
Dr Paul Caffrey
Portrait of Anne 'Ninon' de l’Enclos (1620-1705), 1808
Painted on an oval enamel on copper base
Mounted in the lid of a rectangular tortoiseshell and gold-lined snuffbox, 6.2 x 8.3 x 2.5 cm.
Oval, 4.5 x 3.7 cm.
Inscribed, signed and dated on the counter-enamel: Ninon de L’Enclos / Painted by Wm. Bate/ 1808
Provenance: Gorry Gallery, June 2018, where purchased by a collector
This snuffbox is decorated with a very fine bust-length portrait of Ninon de l’Enclos, the celebrated French writer, patroness of the arts and courtesan, who was notorious for her free-thinking ideas, wit, independence and great beauty. She wears a blue silk cloak and pearl necklace with a pearl fillet in her hair. Ninon was known as “the woman who never aged” and was a friend of Molière and Racine. Her memoirs and letters give valuable insights into the cultural and social life of 17th century France. Bate's enamel would have been painted after a miniature portrait of her which has been attributed to Jean Petitot (1607-91) (Musée de Louvre, no.35715) which was based on a contemporary seventeenth century portrait of l’Enclos by Louis Ferdinand Elle, the elder (1612-1689) (Château de Versailles). This portrait was derived from Van Dyck's portraits of his mistress.
Bate was an expert enamellist and he specialized in working from engravings of full-scale oil portraits. He would have known these portraits from engravings or from Henry Bone's (1755-1834) enamel which was painted in 1807 (Wallace Collection, G51). The headdress and pose are closest to Bone's version. There is an almost identical enamel to Bate's portrait in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace (RCIN 4753) also dated 1808 which is most likely to have been painted by Bate. It was given as a present to George V by Queen Mary and came from the collection of the Duke of Cumberland. William Bate was born into a family of Dublin jewellers and watchmakers where enamelling was extensively used in decoration. He worked in Dublin as a watchmaker and painter of miniature portraits on enamel. These would have been framed in lockets or incorporated into snuffboxes. He spent prolonged periods working in London where he exhibited miniatures at the Royal Academy exhibitions from 1799-1827. William Bate was appointed Painter in Enamel to Princess Elizabeth and Frederick, Duke of York. His two sons W.H. Bate and Thomas were enamellers.
Dr Paul Caffrey
Portrait of Anne 'Ninon' de l’Enclos (1620-1705), 1808
Painted on an oval enamel on copper base
Mounted in the lid of a rectangular tortoiseshell and gold-lined snuffbox, 6.2 x 8.3 x 2.5 cm.
Oval, 4.5 x 3.7 cm.
Inscribed, signed and dated on the counter-enamel: Ninon de L’Enclos / Painted by Wm. Bate/ 1808
Provenance: Gorry Gallery, June 2018, where purchased by a collector
This snuffbox is decorated with a very fine bust-length portrait of Ninon de l’Enclos, the celebrated French writer, patroness of the arts and courtesan, who was notorious for her free-thinking ideas, wit, independence and great beauty. She wears a blue silk cloak and pearl necklace with a pearl fillet in her hair. Ninon was known as “the woman who never aged” and was a friend of Molière and Racine. Her memoirs and letters give valuable insights into the cultural and social life of 17th century France. Bate's enamel would have been painted after a miniature portrait of her which has been attributed to Jean Petitot (1607-91) (Musée de Louvre, no.35715) which was based on a contemporary seventeenth century portrait of l’Enclos by Louis Ferdinand Elle, the elder (1612-1689) (Château de Versailles). This portrait was derived from Van Dyck's portraits of his mistress.
Bate was an expert enamellist and he specialized in working from engravings of full-scale oil portraits. He would have known these portraits from engravings or from Henry Bone's (1755-1834) enamel which was painted in 1807 (Wallace Collection, G51). The headdress and pose are closest to Bone's version. There is an almost identical enamel to Bate's portrait in the Royal Collection at Buckingham Palace (RCIN 4753) also dated 1808 which is most likely to have been painted by Bate. It was given as a present to George V by Queen Mary and came from the collection of the Duke of Cumberland. William Bate was born into a family of Dublin jewellers and watchmakers where enamelling was extensively used in decoration. He worked in Dublin as a watchmaker and painter of miniature portraits on enamel. These would have been framed in lockets or incorporated into snuffboxes. He spent prolonged periods working in London where he exhibited miniatures at the Royal Academy exhibitions from 1799-1827. William Bate was appointed Painter in Enamel to Princess Elizabeth and Frederick, Duke of York. His two sons W.H. Bate and Thomas were enamellers.
Dr Paul Caffrey