Lot 16: John Hoskins (British, b.c.1590-d.1664/5) George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham (1592-1628), wearing

slashed black patterned doublet with his white shirt showing through, large, white lace falling collar, blue sash of the Garter, his auburn hair worn loose and curled, lilac background watercolour on vellum, signed on obverse with initial, H, later gilt-metal frame oval, 57mm. (2 1/4in.) high Provenance: Christies, London; 2nd November, 1971, lot 42 by descent to the present owner George Villiers was the favourite of both James I and Charles I and was created Duke of Buckingham in 1623. He was a great patron of the arts but had several political disasters. In 1628, he was at Portsmouth, preparing an expedition to La Rochelle when he was killed by John Felton, a disgruntled naval officer. The present lot is one of several versions painted of the Duke of Buckingham by Hoskins after his death by assassination in 1628. The head is taken from a large oil portrait of the Buckingham family by Gerard van Honthorst which is in the Royal Collection. Other versions exist in the Royal Collection (RCIN 420036) and the Collection of the Duke of Buccleuch (see A. Mckay, Miniatures in Montagu House, 1899, p.192, no.2.