RICHARD GIBSON (1615-1690)

Portrait miniature of a young Lady, wearing a blue gown, the ruffled edge of her white chemise visible above the low-cut bodice, her dark hair curled, with large pearl drop earring and necklace

circa 1660
Watercolour on vellum
Oval, 55 mm. ( 2 ¹/₈ in.) high

SOLD

'Richard Gibson had been a well-liked figure at the court of Charles I before the Civil War. The King himself was present at his wedding in 1641, and gave away the bride, Anne Sheppard (d.1707).'
This portrait miniature dates to around the time of Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. The young sitter would likely have been a lady of the court, or member of London’s elite.

Richard Gibson had been a well-liked figure at the court of Charles I before the Civil War. The King himself was present at his wedding in 1641, and gave away the bride, Anne Sheppard (d.1707). At this time, Gibson held the position of ‘Page of the Back-Stairs’, while also being recorded as painting miniatures by Abraham van der Doort (c.1575-1640).[1] 

Gibson is thought to have spent the Civil War between London and Wilton House, Wiltshire, the home of his patron, Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke (1584-1650), who had introduced him to court. Gibson remained associated with Pembroke’s wider family and their circle into the Restoration era. It was in this subsequent period, at the end of the 1660s, that the monogram with which Gibson sometimes signed his works changed from ‘DG’ to ‘RG’. ‘DG’ is thought to represent one or both of the artist’s nickname as either ‘Dick Gibson’ or ‘Dwarf Gibson’,[2] and his decision to change this to the more formal ‘RG’, is possibly indicative of a more serious artistic standing. Indeed, he was soon to be appointed ‘picturemaker’ to King Charles II.


[1] van der Doort's catalogue, 104, cited in Murdoch, J.  (2006, January 05). Gibson, Richard [called Dwarf Gibson] (1605/1615?–1690), miniature painter. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 2 Apr. 2026, from https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-10631.
[2] Gibson was 3ft 10 inches in height.
Private Collection, UK.

shipping notice

Worldwide shipping is included in all prices.

The Limner Company does not accept any responsibility for import duty, this is to be paid by the buyer.

Some stock items contain materials from endangered species which are governed by CITES regulations and will require a permit to export outside of Great Britain. If a certificate of export is required then this will be the responsibility of and paid for by the buyer .

HeaderLogo
Portrait miniature of a young Lady, wearing a blue gown, the ruffled edge of her white chemise visible above the low-cut bodice, her dark hair curled, with large pearl drop earring and necklace

RICHARD GIBSON

(1615-1690)

Portrait miniature of a young Lady, wearing a blue gown, the ruffled edge of her white chemise visible above the low-cut bodice, her dark hair curled, with large pearl drop earring and necklace

This field is mandatory

 

shipping notice

The item added to cart contains materials from endangered or protected species. The Limner Company cannot arrange for the delivery of artworks containing ivory, tortoiseshell, or mother of pearl outside of the UK due to import restrictions. The buyer or designated agent may collect the property in the country of sale.

You are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of any items made from or containing certain endangered or protected species (such as ivory, tortoiseshell, or mother of pearl), while other countries will require a permit (e.g. a CITES licence). Such permits must be obtained from the relevant regulatory body in both the country of importation and exportation. If you intend to import such items into another country you should familiarise yourself with the relevant customs regulations and laws before purchase. Delays or refusal of import or export of such works shall not permit cancellation of a sale. It is your responsibility to satisfy any laws or regulations applying to the import or export of any work containing such protected species. For further information on the protected species listed please visit the CITES website:http://www.cites.org/. For further information about import and export regulations please visit:http://www.defra.gov.uk/ahvla-en/imports-exports/cites/. On request, the Company can assist with or apply for a license on your behalf.

Please contact us to discuss shipping options..

checkout details

Your basket exceeds the allowed online transaction limit of £10,000. Please remove an item from your basket to continue to checkout. Successive online sales totalling £10,000 are also prohibited. Please get in touch if you would like to move forward with the purchase in accordance with anti-money laundering regulation.


Under the terms of the anti-money laundering regulation we are required to conduct customer due diligence (CDD) on all sales of works of art over £10,000 before the transaction is carried out. While therefore we may agree to such a sale in principle, we will not be able to conclude (i.e. receive funds, give up possession or transfer title) it until we have received all the necessary CDD information from you and have been able to verify it as required by the regulation.

shipping TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Worldwide shipping is included in all prices.

The Limner Company does not accept any responsibility for import duty, this is to be paid by the buyer.

See Section 7.5 in Terms & Conditions for information on export/import regulations. Please contact us to discuss shipping options. Some stock items contain materials from endangered species which are governed by CITES regulations and will require a permit to export outside of Great Britain. If a certificate of export is required then this will be the responsibility of and paid for by the buyer.

See Section 7.5 in Terms & Conditions for information on export/import regulations.

Please contact us to discuss shipping options.

you may also like