Lot 608
  • 608

John Hoppner, R.A.

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • John Hoppner, R.A.
  • Portrait of Dr. Edmund Ayrton (1704-1808), half length, in crimson choirmaster robes
  • oil on canvas
  • 30 by 25 in.; 76.2 by 63.5 cm.

Provenance

By descent to W.S. Aytron, Esq., London, great-grandson of the sitter;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 14 March 1903, lot 114;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 20 July 1906, lot 157;
With Leger Galleries, London, by September 1989. 

Literature

H.P.K. Skipton, John Hoppner, London 1905, p. 24;
W. McKay and W. Roberts, John Hoppner, R.A., London, 1909, p. 8.

Condition

The canvas is lined. The painting presents a handsome image in overall good condition. Inspection under UV shows scattered spots of retouches here and there, with more concentrated spots at center right, bottom left, and on the hat the sitter wears. The painting could hang in its present state and is offered in a carved, gilded wood frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

Dr. Edmund Ayrton was a successful organist and composer who was appointed Master of the Children at the Chapel Royal in 1780 and made a Doctor of Music in 1784, an occasion which could have warranted a portrait commission such as the present picture, where he appears in his red choir robes.  As Hoppner himself was a chorister in the Chapel Royal, it is likely that they had a personal connection.  Ayrton is buried in the north cloister at Westminster Abbey.