Joseph Wright of Derby, A.R.A.

By descent in the Hope collection until at least 1870;
L.B. Sanderson Esq.;
Thence by descent.

Derby, Midland Counties Exhibition, May 1870, no. 2, lent by Mrs C.R. Hope;
Derby, Fine Art Exhibition, 1877.

B. Nicholson, Joseph Wright of Derby, Painter of Light, 2 vols., London 1968, vol. I, p. 207, cat. no. 88, as whereabouts unknown;
B. Nicholson, 'Wright of Derby: addenda and corrigenda', Burlington Magazine, vol. 130, no. 1027, October 1988, p. 747, fig. 22.

The canvas has been lined, the paint surface is slightly dirty, and the varnish is slightly discoloured. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals very small, meticulously-rendered spots and lines of retouching at the top of the sitter's chest and neck, around her temple, and more minorly scattered through her face. There are other small retouchings in the background, and more meticulous, concentrated areas in the sky, upper right, and to the right of the sitter's left elbow. In overall very good condition.
"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."

Joseph Wright painted Susannah Hope's portrait and that of her husband the Reverend Charles Hope (1732–98) as a pair of Kit Cats shortly after their marriage in 1761. Susannah was the daughter of Benjamin Stead and Dorothy Hope, née Woodhead. Dorothy became, on the occasion of marrying her second husband Robert Hope, her daughter's husband's sister-in-law.

Nicholson identified the miniature suspended on a rope of pearls around Susannah's waist as presumably representing the sitter's father, Benjamin Stead.¹ Upon close inspection, and in the knowledge of the commemorative nature of the commission, the miniature seems more likely to represent Susannah's new husband Reverend Charles Hope, and indeed the sitter's clerical collar would suggest as much. Susannah's pose and dress is typical of the landed gentry portraits of the period and bears close comparison with Wright's comparably elegant 1760 portrait of Mrs Ann Carver.²

1. Nicholson 1988, p. 747.
2. Nicholson 1968, p. 28, fig. 17.