Lot 192
  • 192

Mather Brown

Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • Mather Brown
  • Portrait of George Fermor, 3rd Earl of Pomfret (1768-1830)
  • signed, l.r.; M. Brown
  • oil on canvas
half length, wearing the uniform of a Captain in the Northamptonshire Militia

Provenance

By descent from the sitter's family until sold at Easton Neston;
Hesketh sale: Sotheby's Easton Neston, 17th May 2005, lot 159;
(bought by present owner)

Literature

H. Avray Tipping, 'Easton Neston, Northamptonshire, The Seat of Sir Thomas Fermor-Hesketh Bt', Country Life, Vol. XXIV, 14th November 1908, p.673, illus. in The Long Gallery; F1910, p. 9, hanging in The Gallery

Condition

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears in good condition. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals a layer of discoloured varnish. FRAME Held in a carved and 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. 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."

Catalogue Note

Depicted here in the uniform of the Northamptonshire Militia, which he became a captain of in 1804, the sitter was the 3rd Earl of Pomfret, alias Pontefract, and bore the subsidiary title of Baron Leominster. In 1793 he married Mary Trollope-Browne, a considerable heiress and daughter of Thomas Trollope-Browne, described by the Gentleman's Magazine as "an opulent wine-merchant".

The family seat was at Easton Neston in Northamptonshire, where this picture originally hung, which the 3rd Earl did much to improve. It was under his patronage that the great stable block was built, as well as the great screen and entrance gate south of Towcester and the creation of the model Gothic village at Hulcote.