As collectors look beyond kings and queens, Patricia Cross explores the enduring appeal of early portraits – and why the story behind the sitter can be just as valuable as the artist who painted them.
08/09/2026 Paintings, Drawings & Prints
There is something strangely compelling about looking into the face of someone who died hundreds of years ago. We may know nothing about them. We may not be related to them, their family or their world but a good portrait can make all of that irrelevant. That disappears when looking at a good portrait, it gives us a face, a personality and a remarkable glimpse into an otherwise forgotten life. That fascination is helping to drive interest in early portraiture – particularly when the person looking back at us can actually be identified.
As part of Cheffins’ September Fine Sale, a significant local collection brings together a group of early portraits that offer exactly that opportunity. Among them is a particularly important portrait by Robert Peake the Elder, depicting Thomas Evelyn of Long Ditton (view it here)
Painted when Evelyn was 41, it is an arresting image of a man who, at first glance, could simply be another prosperous gentleman of Elizabethan England. Look closer, however, and a much more interesting story emerges.
Evelyn was a gunpowder manufacturer and landowner whose family had made its fortune in one of the most strategically important industries of the period. His father, George Evelyn, was a pioneer of gunpowder manufacture and was granted a monopoly by Elizabeth I in 1565. The family subsequently accumulated considerable wealth and property in Surrey.
This is where early portraiture becomes particularly interesting for today’s collector. It is not simply about the face on the canvas – it is about being able to uncover the story behind it. People like to know who it is a portrait of - it doesn’t necessarily matter if they aren’t related to them. They want to understand the person, their life and the world they inhabited. It is that combination of artist, quality and provenance which is increasingly important. And this Robert Peake picture ticks all of those boxes.
Robert Peake the Elder was one of the leading portraitists of early English painting, and examples of his work are relatively rare on the open market, in fact only one other work by his hand has been offered in the past 12 months. The painting also sits within a fascinating network of known Peake portraits, with similarities in the treatment of the face, hair and individuality of the sitter.
But perhaps its greatest strength is that this is not a portrait of a king. That might sound counterintuitive. Surely the ultimate historical portrait would be one of Henry VIII or Elizabeth I?
In reality, the market for early portraits has room for something arguably more intriguing: the ordinary – or at least less famous – people who lived alongside history. Royal portraits were produced in huge numbers, often serving a very specific purpose: to project power, status and dynastic importance. A portrait such as this offers something different. It is an individual rather than an icon.
Thomas Evelyn was not a monarch. He was a businessman, landowner and member of a wealthy family. His descendants and relatives included the famous diarist John Evelyn. His life intersected with the political, industrial and social changes of Elizabethan and Jacobean England.
Suddenly, the painting becomes more than an attractive face in an elaborate costume. It becomes a piece of social history.
That same fascination can be seen elsewhere in the collection, including a striking portrait attributed to John de Critz, another major figure in early European portraiture. Traditionally attributed to Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, the work has been reassessed and is now considered closer in style to de Critz. The identity of the sitter remains uncertain, although it has previously been suggested that he could be Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton, or potentially Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork. See this one here.
And that uncertainty is part of the intrigue. In an age when almost every aspect of our lives can be documented, photographed and instantly identified, there is something appealing about a portrait that leaves questions unanswered.
Who was this man? What was his life like? Why was this portrait commissioned? Who first owned it? And why did someone, centuries ago, decide that this particular face was worth preserving?
For collectors of early portraiture, those questions can be just as compelling as the answers.
The strongest works in this field offer a rare combination: an accomplished artist, a compelling sitter, good provenance and, above all, a convincing sense of individuality. We find buyers of these types of works tend to be true connoisseurs of early painting, as well as scholars, the antiques and art trade and of course museums and institutions. In addition, a good portrait can work well in also any interior – whether traditional or modern, so there are also those who buy them for their aesthetic value. Values can range from around £2,000 for a smaller work and right through to the tens or even hundreds of thousands for the best in class of pieces.
Also within the same collection is a small portrait by a French artist, from the Circle of Corneille de Lyon, a wonderful portrait of a lady in a black dress attributed to the Unknown Follower of Custodis and another of a lady with an elaborate lace collar by the Dutch painter Cornelius Johnston.
To view the portraits in the sale, please click here