Jacob More

Lady Moyra Loyd, daughter of William Brodrick, 9th Viscount Midleton and wife of General Sir Henry Loyd;
Her sale, Christie's London, 18th November 1960, lot 101 and 102;
Anonymous sale, Sotheby's London, 18 April 1962, lot 120 (bt. by the present owner)

L. Herrmann, British Landscape Painting of the Eighteenth Century, 1973, p. 70;
E. Waterhouse, The Dictionary of British 18th Century Painters in oils and crayons, 1981, p. 244 (illus.);
J. Holloway, Jacob More 1720-1793, 1987, illus. no. 7, p. 24;
P.R. Andrew,"Jacob More: Biography and a Checklist of Works,"The Walpole Society, Vol. LV, 1989/90, cat. nos. B.24.i & B.31, figs. 135 & 136;
K. Nicholson, Turner's Classical Landscapes; Myth and Meaning, 1990, p. 28, fig. 21 (Rape of Deianara only)

STRUCTURE Both canvases have been laid down on board. PAINT SURFACE Both paintings would appear to be in good condition. There is one small area of paint loss in the lower centre of one of the pictures. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals strengthening to the paint in the sky to both canvases. There is a slightly opaque varnish overall to both paintings. FRAME. Both held in painted wooden frames.
"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 first of these two decorative landscapes, The Rape of Deianera, depicts the famous episode from classical mythology in which Deianera, the daughter of Althaea and Oeneus and the third wife of Heracles, was kidnapped by Nessus, a wild centaur, as she crossed the river Enenos. The episode forms part of the legend of the Tunic of Nessus and portrays the centaur and his victim emerging from the river in the central foreground, while Heracles prepares to shoot his poisoned arrow and rescue his beloved.

The second, Rest on the Flight, visualises the biblical reference to the Holy Family's exodus from Israel into Egypt, but is set in the undulating topography of the Roman Campagna, with an aqueduct and the Pyramid of Cestius beyond. The composition is influenced by Claude's painting of the same subject which hangs in the Doria-Pamphilj Gallery, which the artist may well have seen whilst in Rome.

More arrived in Rome in 1773, having studied under Wilson in London, and quickly established himself as the leading landscape painter among the thriving colony of British artists working there. In 1781 his talents were recognised and he was rewarded with his election to the Accademia di San Luca and Rome, who also commissioned his portrait (now in the Uffizi, Florence).