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Description: | Acquisition: gift from Uriah Shudall, 1735 Description: Whole length, standing to left; long grey wig; lace bands and ruffles; scarlet and miniver judge's robe; gold collar of SS with rose and porcullis at centre of Lord Chief Justice; both hands by his sides, his left, gloved, holds glove, his right open and pointing downwards; to left, a table covered with green velvet on which lies his coronet; whole-length female statue of Justice in an alcove to left, shield of arms, including, as one of the supporters, an eagle regardant, carved on pedestal of fluted column to right; blue curtain background. Frame surmounted by coronet and judicial cap and inscribed 'Servare Aequam Mentem'. The reference is to Book II, Ode iii, of the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace): 'aequam memento rebus in arduis servare mentem' (remember to keep a calm mind in adversity). The presence on the table of his coronet indicates that the portrait was commissioned to commemorate the sitter's elevation to the peerage as Baron Raymond in 1731. It was given to the University in 1735: 'Honoratissimi Viri Rob. Raymond Baronis de Abbots-Langley & Capitatis Angliae Iusticiary effigiem. D.D. Uriah Shudall in testimonium grati animi et memoris beneficiorum' ('Registrum Benefactorum', for the year 1735, Library Records, b.903, Bodleian Library, II, p.157). The Vice-Chancellor's accounts for 1735 show an item paid 'to Mr. West charges abt Ld Raymonds pictre and carr[iage], £4. 18. 6.' ('Expensae Extraordinariae', Comptus Vice-Can, 6 Nov 1697-7 Nov 1735, Oxford University Archives, Wpbeta 21(6), no pagination). The portrait was moved to the Examination Schools in 1923: 'It was resolved further that the Curators gratefully accept the offer of the Curators of the Bodleian to present to the Schools two portraits of eminent lawyers, viz Lord Raymond and Sir Gilbert Dolben.' (Minutes of the Curators of the Schools 1914-[1952], 9 Feb 1923, Oxford University Archives, ES/1/1/2, p.49) In his 'Catalog of the Pictures in the picture Gallery adjoyning to the Bodleian Library' included in a commonplace book written between 1741 and 1752, Vertue recorded that of the 'Lord Chief Justice Raymond by Vandrbank [sic]' (G. Vertue, 'Note Books', V, Walpole Society, XXVI, 1938, p.17) John Gutch also noted that the portrait was 'By Vanderbank' (A. Wood, History and Antiquities of the University of Oxford ed. by J. Gutch, 2 vols (1792-1796), II, Part II, p.968). George Scharf noted the name of the painter as 'Vanderbank' (G. Scharf, 'Trustees' Sketchbook, Oxon II, p.17, 31 July 1874, National Portrait Gallery Archive, London) External Link: Oxford Portraits website | Source: | Vads | Creator: | Artist: attributed to John Vanderbank | Identifier: | http://www.vads.ac.uk/large.php?uid=899... | Go to resource |
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