John Reading

John ReadingJohn Reading (1677 or c. 1685 6? 1764): acting organist of Dulwich College, 1700 2; master of the choristers at Lincoln Cathedral, 1703; organist in London from 1708; published two books of songs and anthems; the air 'Adeste Fideles' (familiar as '0 come all ye faithful') has been attributed to him. The identification of the sitter is traditional.

Pieter Boel was a Flemish artist with a special interest in hunting scenes and game pieces

Van Huysum's paintings often bear a double date

1805/10 when Ozias was a minor canon of Norwich cathedral and vicar of Stoke Holy Cross

An inscription on the stone altar of the chapel bore the date 1563 and

The picture is considerably damaged and was in unexhibitable condition until restored by Patrick Lindsay in 1984

Venus stands between Minerva and Juno while behind Paris to the right stands Mercury

though their attribution remains problematic

convolvulus minor

Hanneman was trained in The Hague with the portrait painter Anthonie van Ravesteyn the younger

The composition derives loosely from Adam Elsheimer's lost 'Mocking of Ceres' engraved by Hendrik Goudt

which belonged to Agnew's in 1930

when catalogued as Adriaen Verboom