Thomas Gainsborough, R.A.

George Guy, 4^th Earl of Warwick & 4^th Earl Brooke (1818-1893);
possibly, his executor's sale, London, Christie's, 20-21 May 1896;
Henry J. Pfungst (1844-1917);
his executor’s sale, London, Christie’s, 15 June 1917, lot 56, bt. Seligmann;
from whom purchased by Alfred Ramage, by circa 1925;
by descent until Mrs Isabel Ramage Maddox, Washington D.C.;
Richard Thune, New York, by whom gifted to the University of Pennsylvania

London, P. & D. Colnaghi, A Selection of Studies & Drawings by Thomas Gainsborough, R.A., May 1906, no. 59;
New York, Davis & Langdale, British Drawings 1760-1925: A Loan Exhibition, 1985, no. 4;
New York, Davis & Langdale, Drawings by Thomas Gainsborough, 1987, no. 22

M. Woodall, Gainsborough's Landscape, London 1939, pp. 62-65;
J. Hayes, The Drawings of Thomas Gainsborough, London 1970, pp. 230-1, no. 526

This work is in good condition and the image remains strong. The paper has perhaps darkened a little and there are one or two minor areas of surface dirt. The sheet is laid down.
"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."

The present drawing dates to the early 1780s and is a fine example both of Gainsborough’s experimental technique and of his deep interest in ‘the pastoral.’ It is well known that Gainsborough never sold his drawings, preferring instead to keep them for himself, or occasionally, to present them to close friends or loyal patrons. He did, however, regard them as finished works of art in their own right and they were much admired by his contemporaries. His friend William Jackson (d. 1803), for example, went as far as to declare that: ‘If I were to rest his [Gainsborough’s] reputation upon one point it should be on his drawings. No man ever possessed methods so various in producing effect, and all were excellent’.¹ In the 19^th Century, the present drawing belonged to George, 4^th Earl of Warwick, whose celebrated collection contained, among many other rare works, fifteen Gainsborough drawings.  

^{1. J. Hayes and L. Stainton, Gainsborough Drawings, Washington 1983, p. 15}