Early Life, Family and Training

Theodore Russel was born in London to a family with deep roots in the Dutch community. He was baptised at the Dutch Church, Austin Friars, on 9 October 1614. His father, Nicasius Rousseel, worked as a goldsmith and jeweller, having moved from Bruges to settle in England. This lineage connected Theodore to a network of skilled craftsmen and artists. His mother, Clara Jansz, was the sister of the painter Cornelis Janssen, placing him within a circle of professional painters from his earliest years.

His upbringing was shaped by the hands of his kin. He was brought up under the guidance of his father and later lived with his uncle, Cornelis Janssen, for about nine years. These years provided a foundation in the technical demands of the trade. After this period of familial training, Theodore Russel spent about a year working as an assistant and copyist for Vandyck. This time in the workshop allowed him to study the manner of others, often reproducing portraits on a smaller scale.

Patrons, Workshop and Commissions

After spending time as an assistant and copyist for Vandyck, Russel developed a hand that was well-suited to the smaller scale. He spent much of his career translating the larger, sweeping gestures of Vandyck's portraits into more intimate, compact versions. These smaller works found their way into significant collections, including several copies that were held within the Royal Collections. His ability to replicate these likenesses helped him secure a place among the nobility of the era.

His reputation as a portrait-painter grew through the patronage of influential figures, such as the Earls of Essex and Holland. These commissions required a steady hand and an eye for the specific details of status and character. He worked within a tradition of portraiture that valued the precise rendering of a sitter's presence, often working in a way that echoed the styles of his contemporaries and predecessors.

• An Unknown Lady, possibly Olivia Boteler, Mrs Endymion Porter (about 1630)

Key Works and Attributions

Much of the work associated with Russel involves a careful study of others. He spent time as an assistant and copyist for Vandyck, a practice that left a mark on his own output. One such copy, a portrait of Sir John Suckling, remains in the National Portrait Gallery. His hand is often seen in smaller-scale versions of Vandyck's portraits, capturing the likenesses of the nobility. His reach extended to the Earls of Essex and Holland, whose portraits were held in private collections or the Royal Collections.

Several paintings carry his name or are attributed to his brush. A portrait of the Countess of Manchester shows his ability to handle the likeness of a sitter. Other works, such as a portrait of a lady in a pearl choker, a portrait of a young gentleman from about 1670, and a work attributed to James Stuart, 1st Duke of Richmond, and 4th Duke of Lennox, reflect the styles of the period. An earlier work, an unknown lady possibly identified as Olivia Boteler, Mrs Endymion Porter, dates from about 1630.

• An Unknown Lady, possibly Olivia Boteler, Mrs Endymion Porter (about 1630)
• Portrait of the Countess of Manchester
• Portrait of a Lady, head and shoulders, in a pearl Choker
• Portrait of a Young Gentleman (c. 1670)

Family and Later Years

In his later years, Russel resided in Blackfriars. He married in January 1649, establishing a household that would continue to be connected to the art of portraiture. He was known to be a lover of ease and his bottle.

The tradition of painting remained within his family. His son, Antony Russel, carried on the work of portrait-painting. This lineage ensured that the family's connection to the craft continued well after the mid-seventeenth century. Theodore Russel died in 1689.