Portrait of George John, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758-1834) aged 17, bust-length, in Van Dyck costume

Sunderland frames are a manifestation of the auricular style first seen in picture framing in Charles I's reign. The auricular, literally 'of the ear', relied on fantastic, fleshy, organic ornament; it originated in the Netherlands in the 1610s under Italian influence. Sunderland frames are characterised by their distinctive carving, with a cartouche at top and mask at bottom. The pattern takes its name from Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland (1641-1702), many of whose pictures at Althorp are framed in the style, though the term itself is probably a nineteenth-century one. The Beauties of Charles II's court, by Sir Peter Lely and others, hanging in the Althorp Picture Gallery are displayed double-hung in Sunderland frames.
This copy most probably is that shown hanging at Spencer House in Lord Spencer's room, originally the Palm Room, in a photograph dated 1916.