Two exceptionally interesting Cornish portraits have been brought back to the county by the Lander Gallery. They show THOMAS CARLYON OF TREGREHAN 1st
and his son THOMAS CARLYON OF TREGREHAN 2nd
Research by the Lander has discovered that the above portrait is painted by one of the most significant artists of his age- John Riley.
Illustrated above is the earlier of the two.
JOHN RILEY (1646- 1691)
THOMAS CARLYON OF TREGREHAN 1st (1658- 1724)
Oil on canvas
30” x 25”
Provenance: Family descent, away from Tregrehan for some time.
THOMAS CARLYON OF TREGREHAN (the first)
The Carlyon family have been at Tregrehan since 1565, steadily increasing their estates and prosperity.
Thomas Carlyon commenced the construction of TREGREHAN HOUSE in 1680.
IN 1681 he married AGNES AGUS (d1728) widow of Peter Allen
The portrait PROBABLY DATES FROM AROUND THIS TIME.
Throughout his life he worked to increase the Carlyon estates.
He is buried in the church at St Blazey.
THE ARTIST: JOHN RILEY
John Riley was one of the foremost portraitists of his time. Carlyon would have been making a dramatic statement by commissioning such a significant artist. In 1682 Riley charged £40 for a portrait- an enormous amount at that time.
His subjects included Charles ll (a famous image) and James ll. He was appointed Court painter to William and Mary. Pictures often published include the portrait of Ashmole at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and of Samuel Pepys.
The curator of 17th century portraits at the National Portrait Gallery has confirmed the attribution of this painting to John Riley.
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