Thomas Gainsborough R.A.

By descent to the sitter's grandson, Revd Mileson Gery Edgar (1784–1853);
By descent to his widow, Elizabeth;
Sold by her executors to T. Humphrey Ward;
Bought from him by Agnew in 1898;
George Harland-Peck, London, acquired in 1904;
His sale, London, Christie’s, 25 June 1920, lot 65;
Sylvia White, purchased at the above sale for £304.10;
Anonymous sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, 1 June 1931, lot 40;
Galerie René Gimpel, Paris;
Confiscated from the above by the Nazi occupying forces after 1940;
Art market, London;
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby’s, 15 July 1992, lot 27;
Purchased at the above sale by the late owner.

This lot is sold pursuant to a settlement agreement between the current owner and the heirs of René Gimpel.

Chicago, Art Club of Chicago, Catalogue of Old Masters from Ehrich Galleries, December 1920, no. 25.

Sir W. Armstrong, Gainsborough and his Place in English Art, London and New York 1904, p. 264;
E. K. Waterhouse, 'Preliminary Check List of Portraits by Thomas Gainsborough', Walpole Society 1948–50, XXXIII, 1953, p. 35 (2);
To be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonée by Hugh Belsey.

The canvas has an old and effective relining, the varnish is clear and even. There is no major damage visible to the naked eye. Inspection under ultra violet light reveals retouchings restricted solely to minimilising the effect of the craquelure in the flesh tones and white gauze in the upper part of her dress. There are more minor strengthenings in the details of the lower part of the dress and some touches in the defining lines of the eyes. There is one old, well-restored tear 1 ½ inches long, running diagonally from the upper right of the head to the central point just above the right eyebrow. The picture is in good condition overall and no further work is required. This lot is offered in a beautiful English gilt wood frame, carved in low relief, in good condition with only a few losses.
"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."

Elizabeth, the daughter of James Harrington of Chedburgh in Suffolk had married Robert Edgar (1682–1750) in the early 1730s as his second wife. The Edgar family lived at The Red House, an Elizabethan house at Westerfield, a few miles outside Ipswich and the family became one of Gainsborough’s most important patrons during his sojourn in Ipswich in the 1750s. Elizabeth Edgar’s portrait was amongst the earliest he painted after he moved to the town in about 1752 and it shows a characteristic smooth handling of paint during his first years in Ipswich. The portrait was followed five or six years later by a commission, presumably from the Edgar’s only son, who was also called Robert (1732–78), for portraits of himself and his two maiden sisters, Elizabeth (1733–91) and Katherine (1740–1811). The portrait of Elizabeth is now in an English private collection and that of Katherine, which appeared in these rooms on 16 November 1988, is now in a Swiss private collection. At about the same time Robert Edgar purchased a large oval landscape that is now in the Toledo Museum of Art.

After the last member of the family died in 1890, the collection was dispersed and, apart from the paintings, it included a number of Gainsborough’s drawings. Unfortunately the drawings have not been identified and it is not known whether they date from the 1750s or, if they are from a later date, it would suggest that Gainsborough maintained contact with the family after he moved to Bath in 1759.

We are grateful to Hugh Belsey for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.