Portrait of Sir John Harington of Kelston (1561–1612), Hieronimo Custodis, 1592

Attributed to hieronimos custodis (born antwerp, active in london circa 1587 - 1593) portrait of sir john harington of kelston (1561–1612), three-quarter length, in black with a ruff and a sword dated upper left: anno dni. 1592: oil on oak panel 83. 9 x 62. 2 cm.;33 x 24½ in. This painting relates closely to two portraits of sir john harington attributed to custodis, both of which date to 1590–95: one, which was last offered in these rooms, 2 may 2012, lot 43, in which the sitter faces in the opposite direction; and the other, a double-portrait with harington's wife, mary rogers, which was sold at christie's, london, 2 may 2013, lot 281, in which the sitter's pose is almost identical, though he does not wear the large ring that appears on his thumb, here. Harington was a prominent member of elizabeth i's court, and one of the queen's godsons. Born in kelston, somerset, his father, john harington (d. 1582), was a poet and his mother, isabella markham (d. 1579), was a gentlewoman of the queen's privy chamber. Harington served under the earl of essex in ireland but is best remembered today for his literary work as a poet, epigrammatist and translator. Harington dedicated the first complete translation of orlando furioso, ludovico ariosto's epic romance poem, to elizabeth i in 1591, and his translation of book vi of virgil's aeneid to james i in 1604. Harington is also credited with the invention of the water-closet. Date: 1592.