About Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Independent British Fine Art & Antiques Dealers | Historic Paintings, Portraiture, Sporting Art & Decorative Arts
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® is an independent, family-run British fine art and antiques dealership and online gallery, incorporated in England and Wales on 22 April 2024 under company registration number 15666518.
Led by directors Michael and Victoria, the company specialises in carefully selected British and European paintings, sculpture and decorative arts, serving private collectors, galleries, interior designers, art consultants and institutional buyers throughout the United Kingdom and internationally.
With our registered office in Covent Garden, London, and trading operations based in Cheshire, we combine historical research, considered attribution, detailed condition reporting and professional customer service.
Our approach emphasises artistic quality, historical significance, transparency and the preservation of original works of art.
Professional Memberships, Industry Affiliations & Recognition
Fine Art Trade Guild – Elected Member
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® is an elected member of the Fine Art Trade Guild, a recognised professional organisation supporting standards, integrity and responsible practice within the fine art and framing industries.
Our membership reflects our commitment to professional conduct, ethical trading and the accurate presentation of original works of art.
The House Directory – Select Member
We are a Select Member of The House Directory, a specialist British directory connecting interior designers, architects, private clients and design professionals with established suppliers and specialist businesses.
Our published profile highlights our expertise in British and European fine art, historic portraiture, sporting paintings, sculpture and decorative antiques.
https://www.thehousedirectory.com/company/cheshire-antiques-consultant-ltd/
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Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® is registered with HM Revenue & Customs as an Art Market Participant under registration number XRML00000211615.
We maintain appropriate anti-money laundering and financial sanctions compliance procedures in accordance with applicable United Kingdom legislation.
Registered United Kingdom Trade Mark
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® is a registered United Kingdom trade mark under registration number UK00004303420.
Private Online Gallery
Private Virtual Viewings by Appointment
We operate exclusively online and do not maintain a public showroom.
Private one-to-one virtual viewings are available by appointment, allowing prospective purchasers to examine artworks remotely and discuss condition, dimensions, attribution, provenance and historical context.
High-resolution photographs, additional images and detailed condition information are available upon request.
We aim to provide collectors with the information necessary to make informed purchasing decisions.
Areas of Specialisation
Fine Art & Works of Art | 17th–21st Century
Our principal specialisms include:
- British and European oil paintings, watercolours and mixed-media works
- Historic portraiture and figurative paintings
- Marine, naval and maritime subjects
- Equestrian, hunting and sporting paintings
- Animal paintings and rural subjects
- Landscapes, coastal views and cityscapes
- Still life, interiors and genre compositions
- Military and historical subjects
- Sculpture and three-dimensional works
Our catalogue includes works by identified artists, attributed paintings, historical schools and carefully researched unsigned compositions.
Each artwork is selected with consideration for artistic quality, condition, historical interest, provenance where established, and decorative merit.
Antiques & Decorative Arts
Our wider collection may include:
- Bronze and other sculpture
- Hallmarked silver and decorative metalwork
- Antique carved objects
- Porcelain, glassware and ceramics
- Decorative wall art
- Garden and architectural antiques
- Collectible decorative objects dating principally from the 18th to 20th century
Our inventory is continually evolving, with pieces selected for their craftsmanship, individuality and suitability for traditional and contemporary interiors.
Sustainability & Enduring Craftsmanship
We actively support sustainability within the fine art and antiques trade through the preservation, continued appreciation and responsible reuse of historic works of art and decorative objects.
By extending the useful life of existing pieces, the antiques trade can help reduce demand for newly manufactured decorative goods while preserving traditional craftsmanship and cultural heritage.
Historic paintings, sculpture and period furnishings bring individuality, character and enduring aesthetic value to both traditional and contemporary interiors.
Payments & Purchasing
Purchases are arranged in accordance with the applicable LoveAntiques purchasing arrangements and our company Terms & Conditions.
We accept secure online card payments, PayPal, Klarna, Apple Pay and Google Pay, where available, for transactions up to £5,000.
Transactions exceeding £5,000 are payable by bank transfer.
Proforma invoices containing our company payment details are available upon request.
Cash on collection may be accepted by prior written arrangement, subject to a maximum of £8,000 and applicable legal and anti-money laundering requirements.
All transactions remain subject to availability, applicable payment requirements and relevant consumer protection legislation.
Shipping & Delivery
UK and worldwide shipping is available.
Delivery quotations are provided upon request, taking into account the artwork's dimensions, value, destination and specialist handling requirements.
Artworks are carefully and professionally packaged using appropriate protective materials.
We use established tracked courier services, including DHL, FedEx, DPD and Parcelforce, together with specialist fine art transport providers where appropriate.
Insured delivery services are arranged where available, subject to the applicable insurance terms, exclusions and coverage.
Larger paintings, antique furniture and particularly fragile objects may require specialist door-to-door transportation.
Customs & International Orders
International orders are generally supplied on a Delivered at Place (DAP) basis unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Under DAP arrangements, international purchasers are responsible for applicable import duties, import VAT, customs clearance charges and other destination-country taxes or fees.
Following the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union, EU customers may be subject to additional import procedures and charges.
Purchasers in the European Union, United States and other international destinations are encouraged to consult their local customs authorities before purchasing.
Where a shipment is refused or returned because of unpaid customs charges, any refund and associated shipping costs will be handled in accordance with the agreed sale terms and applicable consumer protection legislation.
Attribution, Provenance & Condition
All artworks, antiques and decorative objects offered by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® are individually selected and catalogued in good faith using the research, documentation and information available at the time of cataloguing.
Artist attributions, dating, provenance, historical interpretations and related catalogue commentary represent our professional dealer opinion unless expressly identified as established facts supported by documentary evidence.
As many works are antique or previously owned, they may exhibit age-related wear, historic restoration, surface irregularities or other characteristics consistent with their age and history.
Known material condition issues are disclosed in the relevant catalogue descriptions or condition reports.
Prospective purchasers are welcome to request additional photographs, condition information, provenance details or a private virtual viewing before completing a purchase.
Our catalogue research and descriptions do not constitute a formal valuation, independent authentication certificate, investment recommendation or professional appraisal service.
Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution
Original artworks are supplied with a Certificate of Sale & Dealer Attribution issued by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.
The certificate records the relevant catalogue details, attribution, provenance as stated and details of the sale, providing an accompanying document for the artwork's ongoing ownership and provenance record.
The certificate represents our professional dealer attribution and does not constitute independent authentication or a guarantee of future market value.
Returns, Consumer Rights & Important Information
All items remain subject to prior sale and availability.
Purchases are governed by our applicable Terms & Conditions and Returns Policy, together with any applicable LoveAntiques marketplace terms.
Where statutory distance-selling cancellation rights apply, customers are entitled to exercise those rights in accordance with applicable consumer protection legislation.
Nothing in our catalogue descriptions, attribution statements or terms excludes or restricts statutory consumer rights.
Company Information
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Registered Office:
71–75 Shelton Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2H 9JQ
United Kingdom
Trading Operations:
Mickle Trafford
Chester
Cheshire
United Kingdom
Please note: We operate exclusively online. We do not maintain a public showroom or offer customer visits at either address.
Company Registration Number: 15666518
Date of Incorporation: 22 April 2024
Registered in England and Wales
VAT Registration Number: GB 466128775
HMRC Art Market Participant Registration: XRML00000211615
Registered UK Trade Mark: UK00004303420
Professional Membership: Fine Art Trade Guild – Elected Member
Industry Directory: The House Directory – Select Member
Website: https://cheshireantiquesconsultantltd.com/
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD® – Independent British Fine Art & Antiques Dealers.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
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Address
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London
Greater London
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WC2H 9JQ
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Oil Portrait of Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-lüneburg (1714–1774), Generalissimo of the Russian Army, Wearing the Sash of the Imperial Order of St Andrew the First-Called Circle of Georg Christoph Grooth c.1740
REF: LA553973
£14,500
€17,383
$19,408
LoveAntiques Dealersince Mar 2017Approved item557 sales by dealerFree Delivery
LoveAntiques Dealersince Mar 2017Approved item557 sales by dealerFree Delivery
Description
Portrait of Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg (1714–1774), Generalissimo of the Russian Army, wearing the sash of the Imperial Order of St Andrew the First-Called
Circle of Georg Christoph Grooth, c.1740
Subject & Medium
This important 18th-century German School portrait shows Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg half-length, turned three-quarter to the left, wearing full court and military dress with his Russian orders prominently displayed.
The work is executed in oil on canvas, now relined, and presented in a later moulded gilt frame. The framed dimensions are approximately 97 cm high × 78 cm wide × 4.5 cm deep. The portrait is attributed to the circle of Georg Christoph Grooth (1703–1749), a German painter active at the Russian imperial court, and dates to around c.1740.
Composition & Technique
The composition is intentionally restrained and dignified. Anthony Ulrich stands out against a dark, neutral ground, allowing the light to fall clearly on his powdered wig, pale complexion and richly coloured costume. He wears a deep green coat magnificently embroidered with scrolling gold, over which is draped a crimson mantle lined with ermine. Across his chest runs the pale blue sash of the Imperial Order of St Andrew the First-Called, together with the dark blue collar of the order; on his left breast shines the radiating star with the saltire of St Andrew clearly visible in the medallion. In his right hand he grasps a dark field-marshal’s baton capped with a jewelled knob, the classic emblem of a generalissimo.
Technically, the head is built up in cool, porcelain-like flesh tones over a light ground, with finely drawn eyes, nose and mouth and a gentle flush in the cheeks. The wig is described with neat, rhythmic strokes. In contrast, the lace cuff, fur and gold embroidery are painted with more lively, decorative brushwork that catches the light. The paint surface shows an attractive, age-consistent craquelure pattern typical of 18th-century continental canvases, adding to the character of the work.
Artist – Stylistic Attribution
Although anonymous, the portrait clearly belongs to the German–Russian court portrait tradition associated with Georg Christoph Grooth (1703–1749), a German painter active at the Russian imperial court, and is also influenced by the elegant Franco-German idiom of Antoine Pesne (1683–1757).
The dark, uncluttered background, the cool and smooth modelling of the head, and the emphatic display of orders and baton recall Grooth’s work at the courts of Empress Anna and Elizabeth. The slightly idealised yet dignified treatment of the sitter, and the balance between decorative costume and calm facial expression, sit firmly in that Pesne–Grooth orbit.
In the absence of a signature or documentary evidence, the painting is most responsibly catalogued as:
Circle of Georg Christoph Grooth (1703–1749), German School, c. 1740.
About the Sitter
Anthony Ulrich (Anton Ulrich) (1714–1774) was a prince of the House of Welf, the second son of Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Bevern. In 1739 he married Anna Leopoldovna, granddaughter of Tsar Ivan V of Russia, a union that drew him into the very centre of Romanov dynastic politics. When their infant son was proclaimed Emperor Ivan VI in 1740, Anthony Ulrich was created Generalissimo of the Russian Army, the highest military rank in the empire.
His fortunes changed dramatically in 1741, when a palace coup placed Elizabeth, daughter of Peter the Great, on the throne. Anthony Ulrich, Anna and their children were arrested and confined in remote northern Russia. They remained prisoners for decades under often harsh conditions. The Duke, once portrayed with sash, star and baton as a figure of princely and military authority, died blind in captivity at Kholmogory in 1774.
Historical Context
The portrait belongs firmly to the world of mid-18th-century dynastic politics, in which the houses of Brunswick-Bevern, Romanov and Habsburg sought to knit together their interests through carefully arranged marriages and the conferral of prestigious orders. The Order of St Andrew sash and star proclaim Anthony Ulrich’s elevation within the Russian imperial hierarchy, while the field-marshal’s baton emphasises his brief command as generalissimo.
Viewed with knowledge of what followed – the coup, the long years of imprisonment, the loss of sight and freedom – the painting becomes more than courtly display. It records the moment at which Anthony Ulrich stood at the apparent pinnacle of power, adding a subtle but powerful note of tragedy to the otherwise triumphant imagery.
Signature and Inscriptions
The painting is unsigned on the front, with no visible monogram.
On the reverse of the relined canvas a later German inscription identifies the sitter as “Anton Ulrich, Prinz von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel” and summarises his life (born 1714; married to Anna, regent of Russia; appointed generalissimo in 1740; imprisoned in 1741; died 1775). The handwriting and ink appear to be of 20th-century date, serving as a historical label rather than a contemporary note, but they agree closely with the known biography and support the traditional identification.
Frame
The work is set in a later moulded and gilt wooden frame that suits the character and period of the painting. The frame shows typical signs of age and use – light scuffs, dust in crevices and small chips to the gilding at exposed edges – but remains structurally sound and presentable. It is ready to hang.
Provenance
Documented:
The painting almost certainly originates in Germany, as indicated by the German inscription on the reverse, the sitter’s dynastic roots in Brunswick and the traditional note “Origin from Germany” in trade descriptions. The canvas was relined and mounted on its present stretcher, probably in the 19th or early 20th century, at which time the identifying inscription was likely added by a restorer, dealer or historically minded owner.
By the early 21st century the portrait had entered the British art trade, where it was handled by a notable Scottish auction house (label verso) and curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD and marketed as an important 18th-century German School portrait of Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg, appearing on various online platforms under that description. It has since passed into the present collection.
By Repute):
Given its subject and character, it is entirely plausible that the painting was originally produced within the Brunswick-Welf or Russian court orbit, perhaps as a studio repetition or variant of an official likeness of Anthony Ulrich painted around the time of his appointment as generalissimo in 1740. From there, it may have hung for generations in a north-German aristocratic or high-bourgeois interior – an “ancestor gallery” or formal reception room – before being restored, relined, inscribed on the reverse and eventually dispersed into the wider European market. While this earlier chain remains unproven in the absence of documents, it fits well with the language, style, authorship and subject.
Why You’ll Love It
Strong visual impact: rich crimson, emerald, ermine and the pale blue sash of the Imperial Order of St Andrew, with the star and baton providing real courtly drama.
A sitter with a story: Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-Lüneburg, generalissimo of the Russian Army, entangled in Romanov coups and long imprisonment – far more than a generic “man in a wig”.
Credible attribution: firmly placed in the circle of Georg Christoph Grooth (1703–1749) and the mid-18th-century German/Russian court-portrait tradition, combining strong decorative presence with solid art-historical footing.
Purchasing
Ready to add to your collection or office.
Visit Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD to discover more carefully selected antique and decorative works of art.
Questions and enquiries are welcome.
measurements
Height:
97 cm
Width:
78 cm
Depth:
4.5 cm
declaration
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD has clarified that the Oil Portrait of Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-lüneburg (1714–1774), Generalissimo of the Russian Army, Wearing the Sash of the Imperial Order of St Andrew the First-Called Circle of Georg Christoph Grooth c.1740 (LA553973) is genuinely of the period declared with the date/period of manufacture being 1740
condition
Condition Report
Offered in fine used condition, entirely consistent with age. The canvas shows a network of craquelure and age-related cracking, with areas of foxing and some small localised losses to the paint layer. There are minor historic paint touch-ups in places, undertaken to integrate these losses.
A horizontal line is visible near the top of the composition where, over many years, the back of a frame or stretcher has pressed against the canvas; along this line, the paint has flaked and there are associated small losses. Despite this, the image remains coherent and attractive, and the earlier structural work (relining) has given the support good stability.
The frame shows general wear in keeping with age and use: some surface dust, light scuffs to the mouldings and minor chips to the gilding at exposed edges. None of this detracts from its decorative effect; the picture is ready to hang as is. A future owner could opt for a light professional clean and conservation to further even out the varnish and visually soften the stretcher-mark, but such work is a matter of refinement rather than necessity.
additional info
Period:
Category:
Material:
Date of Manufacture:
1740
location
This Oil Portrait of Duke Anthony Ulrich of Brunswick-lüneburg (1714–1774), Generalissimo of the Russian Army, Wearing the Sash of the Imperial Order of St Andrew the First-Called Circle of Georg Christoph Grooth c.1740 is located in Greater London, United Kingdom
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