Thomas Gainsborough, R.A.

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, June 11, 1920, lot 95, to Arthur Tooth;
With Arthur Tooth and Sons, London, until 1924;
From whom purchased by C.W. Fiennes, Burton-on-Trent, Stafforshire, 1924;
Harold W. Hack, Short Hills, New Jersey;
His sale, New York, Parke-Bernet, December 2, 1938, lot 35, for $550, to Goldblatt;
Maurice Goldblatt, 1938;
Curtis Ireland, Chicago;
E. Raymond Field, Detroit;
Thence by descent until given to the Cranbrook Academy of Art.

Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, Delaware.

E.K. Waterhouse, Gainsborough, London 1958, pp. 70-71, cat. no. 315.

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting is in very good condition, particularly given Gainsborough's preponderance towards thinness and abrasion. The paint layer in the face of the figure and in the dress is almost completely unabraded or damaged. There are a few tiny losses in the dress itself, yet these are isolated and do not indicate any condition issues. The background seems to be original. The paint layer is still significantly dirty with a yellowed varnish. The old lining is sufficient. This picture would improve greatly with restoration and the reapplication of a few retouches in the dress.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Anne Bateman (1731/2-1800) was the eldest daughter of William Bateman, Esq., of Wardwick, Derby, whose family had been connected with the county of Derby since Tudor times. She married John Gisborne on February 4, 1758 and in the years following had eight children, two of whom were Prebendary Thomas Gisborne, author, and John Gisborne of Darley Dale, the poet.

According to Waterhouse, Gainsborough painted a pendant to the present portrait of Bateman's husband, John Gisborne, soon after the couple's marriage in 1758. Both the present painting and its pendant appear to have stayed in the same collection until 1920, when they were both sold at Christie's and subsequently entered into different collections.