Douglas Portrait, Lennoxlove

Amongst the images captured during the Douglas Clan Gathering visit to Lennoxlove in 2014 is this portrait.

A version was sold in June 2024 at auction in Bonn, Germany. There, it was described as "Portrait of Charles d'Amboise", oil on canvas, relined, 41.5 x 36.5 cm.
The original is stated to be in the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, USA.

One time owners the Samuel H. Kress Foundation give the following provenance:
Henry VIII, King of England [1491-1547], by 1542 Westminster Palace inventory; by inheritance to Edward VI, King of England [1537-1553]; by inheritance to Mary I Queen of England [1516-1558]; by inheritance to Elizabeth I, Queen of England, [1533-1603]; by inheritance to James I, King of England [1566-1625]; by inheritance to Charles I, King of England [1600-1649]. (Probably Charles I [Commonwealth] sale, 1649-1651). John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry [1844-1900], Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, by 1866; [1] Charles Alexander Douglas-Home, 12th Earl of Home [1834-1918], The Hirsel, Borders, Scotland, by 1909. [2] (Frank T. Sabin [d. 1915], London). (Paul Drey, New York); sold 1948 to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation; gift 1961 to Seattle Art Museum, n. 61.150. [1] Lent to the National Portrait exhibition, South Kensington Museum, London, 1866, no. 12, as portrait of James, Earl of Douglas, by an unknown artist. [2] Lent to Burlington Fine Arts Club , London, 1909, no. 47, as “An Italian Nobleman” by Bernardino de’Conti. Not included in the 20 June 1919 estate sale of Douglas-Home held at Christie's, London.

In the early 16th century Charles II D'Amboise commissioned Bernardino de' Conti to do a portrait painting for him in 1505 AD. Although a friend and patron of Leonardo Da Vinci, D'Amboise picked de' Conti for his traditional style of oil painting. On my copy of the Seattle painting is prominently inscribed on the top left: "The Earl of Douglas surnamed Black Dudley" (referring to James, Lord of Douglas c.1286-1330). However, others have suggested that it is Archibald, 4th Earl of Douglas.