Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury

There is a slight undulation in the panel that is evident on the surface; it is caused by tension from the cradle attached at the back. The panel has been disjoined and rejoined, and the back thinned a little, before the wooden cradle was attached. The paint surface in the background and the green tablecloth is considerably abraded and there is extensive overpaint. There is also restoration in parts of the black costume.

Number of boards: 3

Panel Orientation: Vertical

Number of boards: 3

Last date of tree ring: 1586

Observations

The boards were labelled A to C (from the front) for analysis. No sapwood was present on the edges of the boards, which means that a terminus post quem can be applied to the panel. The tree-ring series obtained from boards A and C match each other, and visually they appear to derive from the same tree. Both the composite series from boards A and C and the sequence from board B match against eastern Baltic reference data. The dates for the last tree rings are 1586 for board A, 1568 for board B and 1571 for board C. The board B series has a further 15 rings before the end of the board. Adding the minimum expected number of sapwood rings suggests that the tree for boards A and C was felled after 1594, and the board B tree felled after 1591. In combination these provide an earliest felling date for the trees used in this panel of 1594. Boards B and C are typical widths for eastern Baltic boards, which suggests that there is little chance that they have been trimmed.

The cradle on the back is very noticeable in x-ray (see x-ray mosaic 01). There are significant paint losses along the top and bottom edges. The broad brushstrokes of the priming layer can be seen in the x-ray, along with the brushwork in the head, collar, hands and the objects on the table.

Underdrawing is visible in the face and hands using infrared reflectography (see DIRR 01). There are thick dark lines executed in a fluid medium, and it seems evident that the lines reinforce lines made from a traced pattern. Some contours of the face and features have also been defined. Lines and hatching are used extensively to mark out areas of shadow and texture.

Paint samples were taken for analysis in November 2011.

The wood panel was prepared with a thick chalk ground with some carbon black particles present in it. There is a thin layer of grey priming above this, containing lead white mixed with a little charcoal black. In dispersion, sample 1, from the middle finger of the hand on the table, shows a similar material to the portrait of Thomas Sackville (NPG 4024), with the same type of platelets of black associated with graphite.
The dispersion also shows the plant black and lead white in the finger paint.

Paint
Red seal bag
Sample 2: Cross-section taken from the deep shadows of the folds shows a relatively thick layer of opaque bright red paint, that can be seen in dispersion to be made form a mixture of vermilion and a little red lake. The deep shadow is made with a rich deep red lake glaze over the bright red.

Green tablecloth
Sample 3: Cross-section shows the chalk ground, the thin grey priming layer, the copper green glaze layer, and a brown layer that contains smalt. There are also some thin layers of overpaint. Dispersion shows the copper green glaze and that the brown layer above consists of smalt particles mixed with yellow, indigo and some lead white. This must have been applied at an early stage but it seems unlikely that a mixed green applied over a good copper green would be original. There is another mixed green above this, which is non-original overpaint containing red and yellow ochres, and trace of Prussian blue.

Flesh
The flesh paint contains lead white, vermilion and red lake. There are tiny splinters of ground charcoal black in the shadows. The blue particles in the flesh appear to be azurite that is very finely ground and partly covered with white.

Cuff
There is no visible blue in the cuffs, which have a bluish tint; the paint mixture contains charcoal black.

Blacks of sleeves
Sample 4a: Dispersion shows that the glossy black used in the decoration contains two blacks: a brownish black that might be lamp black, and a more pure black that is probably bone black.

Background
Sample 4b: In dispersion the black is the same deep black seen in the sample 4a. It is made paler with the addition of lead white.

Blue of eyes
Sample 6: Dispersion of sample from the white of the eye on the right shows that the white contains black, lead white and a tiny fragment of smalt.

Blue on cushion
The blue is painted with a dense layer of azurite.

Ring on the hand on the right
Sample 5: Dispersion shows that the lower yellow is yellow ochre with a rod-like form, which is similar to that found in the portrait of Henry Wriothesley (NPG L114). The highlights are lead-tin yellow with vermilion.

Painting style and method
The portrait is carefully planned and the paint closely follows the extensive underdrawing. The painting is finely executed with varied brushwork to create textures.

Preparation layers
The panel was prepared with a chalk ground and streaky priming that was applied in a brushy manner. The underdrawing was executed in a grey sparkly material.

Paint
Flesh
The flesh paint has been thinly and economically applied, making use of the darker priming for the shadows (see micro 06). Around the features the paint has been worked up with thicker paint and brushstrokes (see micro 05). The flesh paint contains red lake and vermilion, both of which are very finely ground and mixed with lead white and a small amount of black. In the cheeks a higher proportion of both reds has been used, including large particles of red lake. The lighter vertical lines on the sitter’s forehead contain a small amount of very finely ground blue pigment. Red lake has been used for the shadow of the nostrils (see micro 03). The lips have been painted with fine brushwork, blending pink paint in with lighter highlights (see micro 04). The parting of the lips was marked with pink paint, followed by two carefully applied strokes of red lake.

Eyes
The irises have a grey base layer, with strokes of a darker grey radiating out from the pupil (see micro 01). A white highlight has been added to the iris in a fluid paint and a translucent thin brown has been used to mark in the pupil. A thin wash of azurite mixed with black has been applied to the iris, partially covering the highlight. The pupil has then been emphasised with a thin dense black paint and the highlight reinforced with a dab of thick-bodied white paint. The whites of the eyes have been thinly painted up and around the irises, and contain very finely ground blue pigment and an opaque red mixed with a little black and lead white. The upper eyelid has been emphasised with a stroke of red and then a darker black paint in small thin brushstrokes.

Eyebrows, moustache, beard and hair
The streaky priming layer acts as a base layer for the eyebrows, moustache and beard. The flesh paint has been applied around these areas, which are clearly marked out with underdrawing. Thin strokes of a rich translucent brown have been applied over the priming to define the eyebrow hairs. The moustache and beard have been laid in with a similar thin brown paint but applied with a thicker brush and handled in a brushy and varied manner to create the texture of the facial hair. Grey highlights have been picked out in the beard, applied with a fine brush. The same technique has been used for the hair, with a translucent brown paint loosely laid in over the streaky priming to create the shape and form of the hair (see micro 07). The paint in this area is very worn and abraded. At the crown of the head there is further blending of opaque greys and browns. A few thin brushstrokes of black and grey have been added to mark out individual hairs.

Hands
The hands have been handled in a similar manner to the flesh of the face. A thin streaky brown layer has been used for the shadows with the lighter flesh tones laid over it. The flesh paint has been applied in a brushy manner and has been manipulated to create texture to a greater extent than seen in the face. The thin flesh layer contains the same pigment mixture as the face and there are also a few scattered blue pigment particles. Azurite particles can be seen along the back of the hand on the left, which were probably applied to outline the hand against the tablecloth when the seal bag was being painted. The textured brushwork of the hand closely follows the underdrawing beneath; for example, the wrinkles on the back of the hand follow the drawn line exactly, as do the knuckles (see micro 13). The fingernails have a thicker highlight of pink and have been outlined in a red lake glaze (see micro 14).

Rings
The gold settings of the three rings in the picture have been painted using mustard yellow earth pigments, with highlights and detail added in a thicker bodied paint containing lead-tin yellow. Both the ring tied onto the shirt strings and the ring on the hand on the right have fine touches of red lake glaze for details of the gold (see micro 12). The black jewels have been thinly painted in black paint, with a second layer of dense, fluid black paint. Lead white has been used for the highlights of the jewels (see micro 15). The ring on the hand on the left has a ruby, which has been painted in vermilion with a red lake glaze. The paint in this area has suffered from damage and there are areas of retouching on the ring. The ring attached to the costume closely follows the underdrawing and has been painted before the black of the costume was applied.

Ruff
The basic shape of the ruff has been blocked in with a thinly applied grey paint. The highlights on the folds of the fabric have been painted in white paint blended wet-in-wet with the grey (see micro 09). The shadows on the folded ends of the ruff have been applied in a brushy manner with a warm brown paint mixture. The lace detail on the right-hand side of the ruff has been painted in lead white applied with a fine brush. The lace on the left-hand side has been applied in the same manner but with a thin black paint.

Black costume
The basic shape of the black costume has been blocked in with a dense black paint containing a little lead white and earth pigments to add warmth. There are a lot of lead soaps visible in the black areas of the costume. The highlights on the edge of the cloak have been blended wet-in-wet into the black paint. Other highlights marking folds on the fabric have been applied over the black paint once it had dried. The patterns on the cloth, and details such as buttons, have been defined using a fluid and dense black paint (see micro 10). Cuffs The cuffs have been painted in a brushy grey layer with lighter highlights applied at a later stage. The lace detail has been painted in lead white applied with a fine brush. At the bottom of the cuff on the right an unusual circular patterning can be seen that is also observed above the shoulder on the right. The patterning occurs in a translucent brown paint, which appears to have been blotted in some way (see micro 11). It is unclear what the purpose of this is, or whether it is intentional. Shirt string The shirt strings have been painted over the black of the costume in a fluid paint containing lead white. A reserve has been left in the black of the costume for the tassels, which have then been blocked in with grey paint applied in a brushy manner. The details of the tassels have then been painted with fluid white paint. The tassels have been outlined in the same fluid black paint that has been used for the pattern on the costume and which is also brushed in to form the shadows of the string holding the gold ring. Tablecloth|img/107_2011_micro01.jpg}
The green tablecloth has an underlayer of translucent brown paint, with grey applied for areas of highlight (see micro 16). The objects on the table have been painted in at this stage, before a copper green glaze containing a small proportion of azurite was applied. The highlights contain large particles of a yellow pigment mixed with white and azurite. The tablecloth is very damaged and has extensive passages of overpaint.

Letters
The brown underlayer of the tablecloth can be seen to extend beneath the letters (see micro 17). The basic shape of the letters has been broadly and quickly applied with visible brushstrokes. The paint mixture contains lead white mixed with small amounts of finely ground pigment including black, azurite, red lake and yellow. The shadows of the letters have been emphasised in a brown paint mixed wet-in-wet with the white. Straight lines have been incised in the white paint to guide the neat and finely applied lettering. The text has been painted in a very thin translucent brown paint, which has suffered from wear and abrasion.

Seal bag and bell
The basic shape of the seal bag has been painted in an opaque red, which is probably vermilion, mixed with white for areas of highlight (see micro 18). Reserves have been left for details to be painted in azurite. The azurite has been applied in a thick layer containing large pigment particles (see micro 20). Mustard coloured earth pigments have been used for the details of the bag, with lead-tin yellow highlights applied over the top. A red lake glaze has been used in some areas as a final layer, including over the azurite to create a purple effect. The bell has been very thinly painted over the brown underlayer of the tablecloth (see micro 19), using mixtures of greys and browns with some details emphasised in a fluid black paint.

Background and inscriptions
The background is very worn and has been extensively overpainted but the original paint can be seen around the inscription on the left. It is a warm brown that has been applied in a loose and brushy manner; it contains large particles of black and lead white mixed with earth pigments and an opaque red. The inscription on the left is painted in lead-tin yellow with the odd particle of red lead (see micro 08). The inscription on the right is in a very badly abraded area and is surrounded by overpaint, some of which partially covers the lettering. This inscription is also painted with lead-tin yellow that has a very similar appearance to the inscription on the left and also contains a few red lead particles.

Order of construction
- Thick chalk ground
- Streaky priming layer
- Underdrawing
- Flesh and hands
- Ruff and cuffs
- Beard and hair
- Black costume
- Costume detail and rings
- Letters, seal bag and bell
- Green glaze of tablecloth
- Background and inscription

Pigments
Azurite, copper green glaze, lead-tin yellow, vermilion, red lake, lead white, earth pigments, yellow ochre, charcoal black, lamp black, bone black, red lead, smalt

Restoration observations
The background and the green tablecloth are considerably abraded and overpainted. There is also extensive restoration in the black costume.

Residues of an old varnish can be seen in ultra violet light (see UV 01). These appear as light areas where the picture has been carefully but unevenly cleaned in the past. Recent retouchings appear dark in ultra violet light and are extensive in the background and the dark costume. Older restoration, which appears less dark, can be seen in the tablecloth, the background and the black costume. A modern varnish layer, which has been applied with broad brushstrokes, has a blue fluorescence.

Frame date: 19th century.