Pieter Andreas Rysbrack

Comissioned by Charles, Viscount Bruce, later 4th Earl of Elgin and 3rd Earl of Ailesbury (1682-1747);
thence by descent

London, Sotheby's, The Artist and the Country House from the Fifteenth Century to the Present Day, December 1995, no. 34

J. Harris, 'Serendipity and the Architect Earl', Country Life, 28th May 1987, p.133, fig. 1

The following condition report is provided by Rebecca Gregg who is an external restorer and not an employee of Sotheby's. The original canvas is in good condition. The overall tension is good and there are no localized planar deformations. The stretcher appears sound; three keys are missing from the stretcher. The original canvas has been re-lined onto a secondary support; the adhesion between these layers appears stable. There are splits in the lining canvas where the lining is visible along the left edge; however these do not appear to have caused any structural instability. The paint layers appear in good condition, there is a network of raised craqulure across the surface, however, this appears stable and the adhesion between the paint and ground layers and the support appears good. There are no significant damages or losses that appear recent. The majority of the over-paint present is localised along the central line of the painting. There does appear to be at least two campaigns of restoration. The more recent is clearly visible under ultra violet examination, present across some of the craqulure. Some of this over-paint appears excessive, with distinct brushstrokes visible rather than conforming to a specific area of damage, this is usually indicative of covering original paint. The earlier campaign is present beneath the varnish layer. These form localized areas of glazing, most noticeably down the centre of the painting, at the tops of the trees and following the path around the building depicted 89cm from the top on the right edge. These areas of over-paint also appear excessive to any visible damage or loss and over the original paint layers. There is evidence of some abrasion to the upper layers of the paint. There is a patchy, discoloured varnish layer present, this layer appears to have been partially removed from the areas of sky, avenues and the details of buildings as these lighter areas of the composition fluoresce less in ultra violet light. There is also evidence of an ingrained dirt layer present, between the paint and the varnish layer. The painting was examined in the frame.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This spectacular and impressive view bears witness to the ancient hunting forest of Savernake, home to the Bruce family, whose ancestors had been Hereditary Wardens of the forest since the Norman Conquest. Tottenham Park, which lies at the heart of the Savernake estate, was originally built in 1721 for Charles, Viscount Bruce, by his brother-in-law 'the Earl Architect', Richard Boyle, 3^rd Earl of Burlington, following Bruce's marriage to Burlington's sister, Lady Juliana, in 1720. Tottenham was the first major house that Burlington designed, and is one of his most important contributions to architecture, as well as one of the key works in the development of Neo-Palladianism in Britain. More drawings for the plan of Tottenham survive than for any other house by Burlington, except Chiswick, and as such the history of its evolution can be accurately traced.

The frontage of Tottenham was inspired by the famous towering façade of Wilton House, associated with Inigo Jones, whilst the rear portico was based on the central part of the loggia of Queen's House in Greenwich, also designed by Jones. As a whole the original house, with two towers on the entrance front, was modelled on Palladio's Villa Pisani in Bagnolo, but what makes Tottenham special  is the upper part of the towers, which are demarcated from the parts below by a full entablature and punctuated by windows. In 1737 Lord Bruce decided to add four pavilions, and a further two towers, enlarging the house, and Burlington was again employed to draw up plans. The present painting, which shows the house in its extended form, must therefore post date 1737, and may well have been commissioned to commemorate Burlington's extension.

The present work is one of three views of Tottenham Park by Rysbrack, the earliest of which predates Burlington's reworking of the site, whilst the other two comprise the present painting and a smaller view showing the Inigo Jones inspired rear portico (sold London, Sotheby's, 8^th April 1998, lot 14). The artist had arrived in England in about 1720, and soon entered the circle of Lord Burlington, who commissioned him to paint two sets of views of the gardens at Chiswick between 1728 and 1732, one of which survives intact at Chatsworth. Rysbrack's innovative approach, and his great contribution to English landscape painting, was to concentrate on and magnify segments of the landscape, in order to focus on the activities of the gardeners and household staff, as well as polite society, thus introducing French influences into English painting and adding an element of social discourse. Among Rysbrack's distinguished views of eminent English houses, in 1735 he painted 'An Exact Draught and View of Mr Pope's House at Twickenham', thus becoming one of the first, possibly the first artist to paint Pope's Villa from across the river, placing him at the beginning of a long tradition of artists which leads through Scott and Marlow, ultimately to Turner.