Nathaniel Hone, R.A.

STRUCTURE The canvas has an old relining. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good overall condition with no apparent damage or loss of paint except for two old and minor paint losses in the hair and two very minor but more recent missing flecks in the lower left hand corner. The In a raking light the stretcher bar marks are visible and there is evidence of an impression to the canvas along a diagonal line running from the sitter's armpit up to the background parallel to his mouth. there is also what appear so to be minor warping to the varnish in the forehead as can be seen in the catalogue illustration. Elsewhere there are minor superficial abrasions as are in keeping with the paintings age. There appears to be a thick discoloured varnish and surface dirt overall. The catalogue illustration is representative. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms the presence of both the surface dirt and the varnish overall, however there does not appear to be any retouching. FRAME Held in a painted and giltwood frame with minor losses. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Born in Dublin and reputedly self-taught, Hone established a successful practise in London, specialising at first in miniatures before turning almost exclusively to oils in the 1760's. He was involved from an early stage with the Society of Artists before being elected director the year after it obtained its Royal Charter in 1765. Defecting in 1768 to become one of only two Irish foundation members of the Royal Academy, he staged the first retrospective one man show in the history of British Painting following an altercation with its President, Sir Joshua Reynolds. His restlessness was matched only by his prolific output and he exhibited some twenty nine works at the Society of Artists between 1760 and 1768, and a further sixty nine oils and miniatures at the Royal Academy between 1768 and his death in 1784. Hone produced a number of self-portraits over the course of his career, many of which are considered to be among his finest works. Similar in conception to Rembrandt's self-portrait series, a number of these works address issues relating to perceptions, both public and private, of identity and status.

As a pioneer in the revival of pictures of single figures as genre characters, later to be termed 'fancy pieces', Hone was tapping into an expressive mode of painting derived from the 'Portrait historié' in which roles were adopted through masquerade to imply narrative. In various guises from cavalier to country squire Hone self-portraits can be found in a number of important national collections such as the Royal Academy, the National Gallery of Ireland and Manchester City Art Gallery. The present picture is remarkable for its sobriety within the context of his self-portraiture. His levelled gaze is direct and unflinching, forcing us to scrutinise him in old age, as he would have scrutinised himself in the painting of this portrait. A self portrait of Hone as a slightly younger man, with an artist's portfolio is in the National Portrait Gallery. London.