Sir William Orpen R.A., R.H.A.

Acquired directly from the artist by Sir James Dunn;
His sale, Christie's London, 16 July 1926, lot 9;
The Lord Wakefield, by whom given to the Royal Masonic Hospital, London, 1936;
Sale, Christie's, London, 18 November 1977, lot 110;
Thomas Agnew & Sons, London.

London, Grafton Galleries, National Portrait Society, 11th Exhibition, Oct 1921 - Jan 1922, no.90;
Philadelphia Museum of Art, Temporary Loan Exhibit, details untraced.

 

Sir William Orpen, An Onlooker in France 1917-1919, London 1921, rev.ed. 1923, p.108.

The colours are richer than the illustration suggests. The canvas is lined. There are some small scattered areas of minor surface craquelure to the black pigments, to the background and a small minor area to the sitter's nose, otherwise in good overall condition. Under ultraviolet light, there is an uneven varnish, there are some minor areas of retouching in the upper corners and by the upper left edge and a small area below the centre of the upper edge. Held in a plaster gilt 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."

Afonso Augusto da Costa, GCTE, GCL (born, Seia, 6 March 1871 - Died, Paris, 11 May 1937), was a Professor of Law at the University of Coimbra and from 1900 and was a Republican M.P. for Oporto and later for Lisbon. He held several cabinet posts in governments between 1910 and 1926, including that of Minister of Justice in the first Republican Government in 1910, during which he was leader of the Democratic Party. He served as Prime Minister of Portugal three times, the third time, from April 25, 1917 to December 8, 1917, in a government of national unity in order to support Portugal's entrance in World War I. After being ousted by Sidónio Pais' military coup d`état, in December 1917, he went to exile in Paris, and never returned again to live permanently in Portugal. He was the president of the Portuguese delegation at the Peace Conference in Paris in 1919. The second member of the delegation was Dr Augusto Soares (see lot 147). It was in the capacity of Peace Conference delegate that Orpen painted this study of him, for The Signing of Peace in the Hall of Mirrors, Versailles, 28th June 1919 (Coll. Imperial War Museum, London), and he can be seen in the back row second from left. Orpen, in his book An Onlooker in France 1917-1919,  described him as "a bright little man, full of health and energy". Later he became Portuguese Ambassador to the League of Nations until 1926. being President of the General Assembly in 1925. He died in Paris on 11 May 1937.

The Orpen Research Project.