Alice Sherard, Lady Brownlow (1659-1721)

John Riley (London 1646 – London 1691) and John Closterman (Osnabrück 1660 – London 1711) . Oil painting on canvas, Alice Sherard, Lady Brownlow (1659-1721) by John Riley (London 1646 – London 1691) and John Closterman (Osnabrück 1660 – London 1711), circa 1685. Inscribed. A full-length portrait of the daughter of Richard Sherard (d.1668) of Lobthorpe and Margaret Dewe, as a young woman, standing, her right arm leaning on a winged putto-term and cartouche adorned stone pedestal on a terrace wearing a brown dress and blue mantle. When Riley painted the 4 pictures at Belton (NT 436004.1-2 and 436005.1-2), he appears to have had the assistance of the recently-arrived John Closterman, and reputedly got £40 a full length, painting only the heads himself and giving Closterman just 30s (£1.50) for all the draperyInscribed. In conformity with the 'earnest desire' of their childless great uncle, 'Old' Sir John Brownlow who settled his estates on them she married her second cousin 'Young' Sir John Brownlow, 3rd Bt. (1659-1697), son of Sir Richard Brownlow, 2nd Bt (1628-1668) and Elizabeth Freke (1634-1684), on 27 March 1676 at Westminster Abbey. Her husband built Belton. She bore him five daughters. In 1697 he comitted suicide in the midst of apparent good fortune. She continued to live at Belton after the death of her husband, concerning herself chiefly with arranging splendid matches for their daughters. 1. Elizabeth Brownlow (1681-1723) Countess of Exeter 2.Alicia Brownlow (1684-1727) Lady Guilford 3.Margaret Brownlow (1687-1710) 4.Jane Brownlow (1689-1736), Duchess of Ancaster 5.Eleanor Brownlow (1691-1730) Viscountess Tyrconnel Belton House, Lincolnshire (Accredited Museum)