Oil on canvas, 10 ins x 27 1/2 ins (13 1/2ins x 31ins)
This Jean Baptiste Monnoyer oil was once in the collection William Blaythwayt, the owner of Dyrham Park. There are two similar oils by Monnoyer still in the collection of Dyrham Park, which is now owned by the National Trust. Jean Baptiste Monnoyer came to England in 1685 on the invitation of Lord Montague to decorate Montague House, and he also worked in Kensington Palace and many other stately homes. Work on Dyrham Park started in 1698
Jean Baptiste Monnoyer was the leading French flower painter of the seventeenth century. He was hired by Charles Le Brun, court painter to Louis XIV, to decorate several royal palaces, including the ChĆ¢teau de Marly, near Versailles. His talents caught the attention of the English Ambassador to France, Ralph Montagu, 1st Duke of Montagu, who invited Monnoyer to work for him in England. But Monnoyer remained in the service of Montagu for the rest of his career, producing sumptuous decorations for his grand mansion in Bloomsbury. In London, Monnoyer was much sought after by the aristocracy and was employed by both Queen Mary II and the young Queen Anne.
