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Creator:
Sir Peter Lely, born in Soest, Germany, 1618; active in the Netherlands and England; died in London, England, 1680 and Studio
Title:
Edward Montagu, first Earl of Sandwich
Former Title(s):
Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich
Date:
between 1660 and 1665
Materials & Techniques:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
87 7/8 x 51 1/2 inches (223.2 x 130.8 cm)
Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:

Inscribed in ocher-color paint, lower right: "Edward 1st E, of Sandwich."

Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1980.25.1
Classification:
Paintings
Collection:
Paintings and Sculpture
Link to Frame:
B1980.25.1FR
Subject Terms:
breeches | cloak | costume | costume | doublet | earl | feathers | interior | Knight of the Garter | man | portrait | sword | tassel | vest
Associated People:
Montagu, Edward, first earl of Sandwich (1625–1672), army and naval officer and diplomat
Access:
On view
Link:
https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:507
Export:
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IIIF Manifest:
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This painting presents the Earl of Sandwich in the ceremonial robes of the Order of the Garter, which include the large jewel depicting St. George on his chest and the badge embroidered upon his shoulder. The order was Britain’s highest honor, bestowed directly by the monarch, and large-scale portraits such as this projected the sitter’s status among the most privileged elite. Made shortly after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, Lely’s painting serves as a statement of Sandwich’s loyalty and willing participation in the new regime. Although he fought against Charles II during the Civil War, the Earl later accepted the king’s return to power, even sailing to the Netherlands to bring him back from exile.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2025


Edward Montagu, first Earl of Sandwich (1625–72), was a military officer and politician. After serving under Oliver Cromwell during the Commonwealth period, he was instrumental in bringing about the Restoration of the monarchy following Cromwell’s death. Under Charles II, he served as ambassador to Portugal as well as Spain, and he rose in the ranks of the Royal Navy to become admiral. Sandwich played a crucial role in the Second and Third Anglo-Dutch Wars (1665–67 and 1672–74, respectively) but perished at the Battle of Solebay in Suffolk, on England’s east coast, when his ship, HMS Royal James, was destroyed. Sandwich’s body was recovered in the aftermath, having washed ashore; it was only identifiable from the scorched clothing, which still bore the shield of the Order of the Garter that appears on his shoulder in this portrait.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016

In a New Light: 500 Years of British Art (Yale Center for British Art, 2025-04-01 - 2026-01-30) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]

Pearls to Pyramids: British Visual Culture and the Levant, 1600–1830 (Yale Center for British Art, 2008-02-07 - 2008-04-28) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]

Acquisitions : The First Decade 1977-1986 : Yale Center for British Art, , Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT, 1986, p. 16, no. 36, N590.2 .A7 OVERSIZE (YCBA) [YCBA]

Malcolm Cormack, Concise Catalogue of Paintings in the Yale Center for British Art, Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT, 1985, pp. 146-147, N590.2 .A83 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Pearls to pyramids : British visual culture and the Levant, 1600-1830 [wall labels], Yale Center for British Art, 2008, pp. 2-3, V 2576 (YCBA) [YCBA]

Pearls to pyramids : British visual culture and the Levant, 1600-1830, , Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, 2008, p. 14, V1880 [ORBIS]

Duncan Robinson, Acquisitions : The First Decade 1977 - 1986, , Burlington Magazine, vol. 128, October 1986, p. 16, no. 36, N1 .B87 128:3 OVERSIZE (YCBA) [YCBA]

The Portrait Surveyed, British Portraiture (1670-1870) , Thos. Agnew & Sons, London, pp. 31-32, NS1314 P67 (YCBA) [YCBA]


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