painting (oil): ["Astraea Returns To Earth" or "The Apotheosis of Charles ll"]

An allegory of the Restoration. An oval picture, with, at the bottom in the foreground, a golden haired seraphim with flowing cloak and large wings. In his hands he holds a sash, bearing the words, "TERRAS ASTRAEA REVISIT" (Justice has returned to the land). Beneath him, in the distance, cherubim carry an uprooted oak to heaven. The top half of the scene shows a female figure with long golden hair, dressed in flowing robes. She gestures upward to a five pointed star with her right hand. With her left, she points a sceptre or wand towards a portrait of Charles II, which is held by three cherubim reclining on clouds. On the left of the female figure is another cherub holding up a set of scales. Ceiling décor for Charles II's bedchamber at the palace of Whitehall. 'This painting, in its original pinewood frame, is the central panel from the ceiling of Charles II's bedchamber in the Palace of Whitehall destroyed by fire in 1690. How the panel got from there to Nottingham is unknown. It must, however, have been painted very shortly after the Restoration in 1660. The picture's identification rests on references to it in Evelyn's Diary, October 3rd 1662; George Vertue's " Lives of the English Painters " vol. I. p. 136 and documents in the family archives of Lord Lothian.' [(Exhibition of Recent Acquisitions (Registry no. 899)], In 17th century frame. "The most unexpected and even dramatic acquisition [this year] is undoubtedly the large oval 17th century oil painting, painted shortly after the restoration of Charles II. As a result of the renovation of the murals at Wollaton Hall this painting was brought to the attention of your Director who, though it was in an incredibly deplorable state of neglect, immediately recognized it as an out-standing 17th century painting. Appeal to Mr. Croft Murray, Keeper of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum soon established this to be the central panel from the ceiling, painted by Michael Wright, of King Charles II's bedchamber in the Palace of Whitehall. The subject is Astraea, Goddess of Justice, enthroned between cherubs bearing the scales of justice and a "head and shoulders" portrait of the King and below more and smaller cherubs bearing the uprooted Boscabel oak. Beside these last is a winged Mercury bearing a scroll inscribed "Astraea Terras revisit". In 1697 Whitehall Palace was gutted by fire and, though known to have been saved, knowledge of the whereabouts of this painting did not survive despite allusions to it in John Evelyn's Diary (1620-76) for October 3rd 1662, in Vertue (1684-1756) Vol. I p. 136 and a reference to it in a MS. catalogue of pictures at Somerset House now in Lord Lothian's Archives. But how the painting got to Nottingham is still an unsolved problem. (Annual Report of the Art Galleries and Museums Committee 1953-1954), Said by Mrs Day to have come from Radford House or from a house in Ilkeston Road, Radford (unclear which from notes). See notes in Fine Art file