Lot 196
  • 196

John Singleton Copley

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description

  • John Singleton Copley
  • John Wombwell (d.1795) with a grey hunter
  • oil on canvas

Provenance

Simon Bigge, Esq.;
With Kennedy Galleries, New York.

Condition

Relined. the paint surface has been very well retained, with good preservation of the impasto and lovely coloration. ultraviolet light reveals numerous inpaints of the craquelure including throughout sky, on horse, and some on his costume and hat; there is also retouching to both the lower front and hind legs of the horse. these retouches have been well applied and the painting is presentable as is. In an elaborately carved and gilt wood frame with some chips and losses.
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

John Singleton Copley was the greatest American artist of the colonial period. In 1774, at the outbreak of the American Revolution, he came to London. This portrait of Wombwell, the brother of Sir George Wombwell, 1st Bt., with its free, luscious brushwork and beautiful sense of bold colour, dates from his English period. Copley studied in Italy in 1774-5, and the sunset over mountains, which gives such vividness to the background of this equestrian portrait, reflects his knowledge of Old Masters such as Titian. In its free, painterly handling, this work can be compared to Copley's portrait of The Three Youngest Daughters of George III, RA 1785 (Royal Collection), which also has a sunset landscape. Copley made a number of equestrian portraits, including Colonel Fitch saying Farewell to his Sisters, the Misses Fitch, 1800-1 (National Gallery of Art, Washington DC; see Jules Prown, John Singleton Copley in England 1774-1815, pp.410-420, illus. pl.635) and George, Prince of Wales (later George IV), 1804-10 (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; see Prown p.420, illus. pl.661).