Portrait of a Man of the Delves Family guided tour

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This guided tour will look at the portrait titled 'Portrait of a Man of the Delves Family' which can be seen on the right.

It was painted in 1577. The artist is unknown and the painting is simply attributed to the British School. It measures 218.4cm x 132.7cm.

Before we begin the tour you may want to spend a few seconds looking at the picture and getting to know it a little.

If you do not wish to take this guided tour but would like find out more about this portrait, you can do so here.

Portrait of a Man of the Delves Family guided tour

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First, look in the bottom right corner. You can see a coat of arms. This tells us which family this man is from - the Delves family of Doddington Hall, Cheshire. Historical records tell us that this was probably George Delves.

Portrait of a Man of the Delves Family guided tour

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We can see expensive clothes, a house and gardens in the background. This man (or his family) was wealthy.

Portrait of a Man of the Delves Family guided tour

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There are several pieces of writing (inscriptions) on this painting. They tell us that this man wanted only love and fame. Instead he has achieved little and lost a great deal. He does not seem very happy.

You can learn more about these inscriptions in the More information section included at the end of this guided tour.

Portrait of a Man of the Delves Family guided tour

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Look at the woman on the left. Who do you think she is? They are holding hands so she is probably the man's wife. She is almost out of the painting and her face is covered. It is as if she is disappearing. She may have been dead when this portrait was painted.

Portrait of a Man of the Delves Family guided tour

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Look at the armour in front of the man. What do you think this shows? It tells us that he used to be a soldier but that he has left that life. If he was still a soldier he might be wearing the armour.

Portrait of a Man of the Delves Family guided tour

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So, we know this man is George Delves. He is from a rich family. He used to be a soldier. His wife may be dead. He is unhappy with his life.

Portrait of a Man of the Delves Family guided tour

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Other things you should remember or think about are:

• A portrait does not have to be painted on canvas. It can be many things; painted on wood, a sculpture, a drawing or a photograph.
• A portrait looks like someone. It can be tiny (a miniature) or life-size, like this one. It can just show a face or a whole body.
• Portraits sometimes have details that tell us about the person in the painting.
• Sometimes the background (what is behind the person) tells us a lot about the sitter as well.

You can learn more about 'Portrait of a Man of the Delves Family' here. Otherwise you can click on the link above to return to the Portrait Detectives main page.