April 2026: New Acquisitions

In amongst the sunshine and showers of the month of April, Darnley Fine Art made a number of important acquisitions to add to its ever-expanding collection. These additions span a range of movements and time periods, from early Tudor portraiture to Cubist abstraction, and are a reflection of our eclecticism. Below, we have selected a few highlights from our April acquisitions, valued for their visual aestheticism and the technical mastery of their creators.

Henry Pether - Venice by Moonlight
It shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to subscribers of our newsletter that this remarkable moonlit scene of Venice is first on our list. Over the Grand Canal rises the full moon, casting the clouds and water in a spectral yellow tone. The luminosity of the celestial body, and how its light plays across the differing surfaces of the water, clouds and architecture, is testament to the skill of the artist. It is easy to see how the Pether family - and Henry in particular - became associated with the sobriquet ‘Moonlight Pethers’.

What sets Henry apart from his family, however, is his astonishing attention to detail with his draftsmanship. Regardless of you where look in this painting, your eyes are met with a different scene of astonishing detail: the gondolas and their gondoliers disembarking and mooring their vessels; the individual lines of rigging for the merchant ship beside the Punta della Dogana; the staffage in their individual costumes, living their individual lives; the light streaming through the windows of San Giogio Maggiore indicating a night-time service. This high level of detail creates such a deep sense of realism, only accentuated by the impeccable accuracy of the serene moon.

Glyn Warren Philpot - The Judgement of Paris
As if to perfectly exemplify the extent of our collection’s range, this next work is a substantial aesthetic leap from the last. Painted late in Philpot’s career, as he increasingly began to use modernist aesthetics, this scene recounts the Greek myth in which Paris chooses between the goddesses Aphrodite, Hera and Athena, inadvertently putting events in motion that would culminate in the Trojan War. The work is heavily stylised and flat, with light and dark colour shades used to denote areas of shadow and luminosity, indicating a clear Impressionist inspiration. Details and features are suggested rather than concretely depicted, creating an overall decorative effect that is further intensified by the pastel-hued colour palette.

Despite the intense heterosexuality of the subject matter, there are noticeable queer undertones within the work. Philpot was a Catholic grappling with his homosexuality, with scholars of his oeuvre suggesting that his depictions of the male nude show his gradual acceptance of his sexuality. The fact that the naked Paris is the only figure in the painting to face out towards the viewer, with his lithe and athletic physique, can almost certainly be interpreted through a queer lens.

Pierre Mignard - Portrait of Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, Princess of Conti
This portrait caused a bit of a stir when it arrived in the gallery, under the unassuming title of ‘17th Century Lady’. Many hours of hard research and necessary brush-ups of the French language later, both the painting’s subject and maker were discovered. The painting has been attributed to the French master Pierre Mignard after having examined his oeuvre, which elucidated a number of similar compositions of female subjects. He was known to have painted the Princess of Conti, with a late 17th century engraving by Nicholas de Larmessin attributing a strikingly similar portrait of the French noblewoman to Mignard. For this reason, we were able to conclude that the work depicted Marie Thérèse de Bourbon herself.

This portrait, therefore, becomes a striking historical representation of one of France’s most influential women, as well as a portfolio of Mignard’s remarkable skill as a portraitist. The details of the sitter’s dress are particularly magnificent, with close attention paid to the lace frills and folds of her drapery. The sheen of light over the silky fabric is truly remarkable, as is Marie Thérèse’s commanding gaze that asserts power over the viewer.

16th Century English School - Portrait of Sir Henry Guildford
In a continuation of the gallery director’s evident taste in portraits of significant historical figures, we also acquired this fantastic 16th century portrait of Henry Guildford. With its composition inspired by Holbein’s portrait, this painting depicts King Henry VIII’s childhood friend and later courtier in his Tudor Rose regalia and a highly fashionable gold embroidered doublet. Guildford held a uniquely important role under the infamous King of England, as the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Esquire of the Body, and Master of Revels. It is believed that he met Holbein whilst the artist completed decorative painting at Greenwich, and Guildford is credited as being the first Englishman to commission a portrait from the German master.

Our version of the famous portrait depicts Guildford’s head and shoulders only, rather than the full three-quarter length of Holbein’s original. The artist has skillfully captured Guildford’s stoic expression, as well as his distinctive facial features - the cleft chin, the bulbous nose, even the faint trace of stubble. This is where the artist’s own talent shines away from the inspiration he has taken from Holbein’s work. The exquisite detailing of the doublet, for example, is an addition to the current work, as is the remarkable texture of Guildford’s fur coat.

Alfred East - Morning Stroll, Marble Hill River Path
To round up this month’s acquisition highlights, we have an artist that is very close to Adrian’s heart, as they both share the same hometown. This delightful painting is by the British artist Alfred East, and depicts the radiant morning sunshine from a pleasantly shaded path, as figures clad in Edwardian-era dress promenade up and down. Whilst undergoing his artistic education, East travelled to Paris and became well acquainted with the Barbizon School, the precursors of Impressionism and Luminism.

The Barbizon interest in the manner of light is felt within this painting, with East having masterfully depicted the way in which sunlight filters through tree branches and results in a dappling effect, visible on the pathway in this current work. The foreground is cast in shade from the overhead canopy, whilst the background is cast in full sunshine and retains its intense luminosity. This work is not just of aesthetic merit, but functions additionally as an important representation of the infancy of what would later become known as Impressionism.

The above five works represent a small part of our April acquisitions, as well as our wider collection. Subscribers to our monthly newsletter receive news of these acquisitions ahead of general release - if you would like details of our new works delivered straight to your inbox every fortnight, then please do subscribe to our mailing list. We look forward to our round up for May - what intriguing new works will we acquire before the month is up?