Sir Joshua Reynolds P.R.A.

The artist's studio sale, Greenwood's, 3rd Day, 16th April 1796 (bt. Duke of Leeds, for £131.5.0);
by descent until sold, Sotheby's, London, 14th June 1961, lot 13 (bt. J. Taishoff for £700);
with Laurence Steigrad, New York;
with the present owner by 2003

London, Grosvenor Gallery, Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1883, no. 155;
London, The Foundling Museum, 2004-2005 (on loan)

E.A. Hamilton, A Catalogue Raisonne of the Engraved Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA, 1884, p.115;
A. Graves & WV. Cronin, A History of the Works of Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1899, vol iii, p. 1175;
Sir W. Armstrong, Reynolds, 1900, p. 241;
R. Prochno, Joshua Reynolds, 1990, p. 162-3;
M. Postle, Sir Joshua Reynolds: The Subject Pictures, 1995, pp. 101-2, 211, 278;
D. Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds, A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings, 2001, Text volume, p. 542, no. 2099, Plates Volume, fig. 1648

ENGRAVED:
J Dean, 8 May 1786 (fig. 1)

STRUCTURE The canvas is unlined. PAINT SURFACE The picture appears in good condition. There is an even cracquelure throughout in keeping with age. ULTRAVIOLET Ultraviolet light reveals scattered spots of re-touching particularly to the central vertical stretcher mark. There has been minor infilling of the cracquelure in the baby's right arm, face and some minor infilling to the legs. There have been two small repairs to damages in the centre right of the canvas. FRAME Held in a British Baroque style 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. 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 subject of this painting is taken from the Old Testament and here Reynolds depicts the moment when the baby Moses is about to be discovered in the bulrushes by Pharoah's daughter, his mother having been forced to abandon him to his fate in an attempt to save his life. This painting would have had great resonance for a contemporary audience. The recent foundation of the Foundling Hospital was specifically created in order to cope with the number of abandoned children in the London capital.

In this painting Reynolds portrays the young Moses as healthy and content, positioned on a soft white pillow and protected by the thickness of the bulrushes which surround him. Painted with a richness of texture and colour this work clearly demonstrates Reynolds' debt to the paintings of Titian.

This painting dates from the 1770's when Reynolds was increasingly involved in the making of subject pictures also known as 'fancy pictures', which featured small children in the guise of infant saints and deities, and were considered by connoisseurs to be among his most original and finest works. Unlike in many of his portraits these works were painted entirely in his own hand. His pupil James Northcote later recalled, 'So desirous was Sir Joshua to arrive at excellence, that I have known him to work days and weeks on his fancy subjects, on which he could practise every experiment at pleasure, while numbers of his portraits remained unfinished.' [1] Indeed clearly treasured by Reynolds himself, this painting remained in his own collection and was displayed in his picture gallery among his choice collection of Old Master paintings. This painting is the prime version of this subject which Reynolds painted on two occasions (the second belonged at one time to Lord Masham, Swinton Park and is now untraced).

At Reynolds' studio sale this painting was bought for 125 guineas, a higher sum even than that paid for the celebrated portrait of Omai which sold for 100 guineas (Sotheby's London, 29th November 2001, lot 12 £10,343,000, Private Collection). It was bought presumably to hang at Holderness House, Hertford Street, the London home of Francis Osborne, 5^th Duke of Leeds (1751-1799) a politician and the only surviving son of Thomas Osborne, 4^th Duke of Leeds (1713-1789) and his wife Lady Mary Godolphin (d. 1764) daughter and heir of Francis Godolphin, 2^nd Earl Godolphin. In 1773 he married firstly Lady Amelia D'Arcy (1754-1784), daughter and heir of Robert D'Arcy 4^th Earl of Holdernesse, and Mary Doublet, Countess of Mertola. After their divorce in 1779 he married secondly Catherine, (1764-1837) daughter of Thomas Anguish, master in Chancery and his wife Sarah Henley. He was succeeded by his son from his first marriage George William Frederick (1775-1838). Osborne sat to Reynolds in 1779 for the group portrait of the Society of Dilettanti (Brook's Club, London).

[1] J. Northcote, The Life of Sir Joshua Reynolds, 2 vols 1818, vol. 2., p. 23