Louis Bélanger 1756 - 1816

(Sale:  Sotheby's, London, November 27, 2003, lot 247)
Acquired from the above sale by the present owner

Lightly scattered foxing throughout the sky, some fox spots removed with resulting pigment and paper loss mainly noticible upper left quadrant. Light soiling. Water stain at top of trees at right; a noticible area of loss with re-touch top of trees at right next to a 3 3/4 inch tear. a few small areas of black oxidization of whites mainly in edge of trees at left. A few minor losses at edges. A tear lower right corner
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.

In the present watercolor Belanger records the appearance of Windsor Castle in 1796.  The last major refurbishment of the castle had been undertaken by Charles II more than a century earlier and even at this date, its appearance still reflected its medieval origins.  For much of the eighteenth century the castle was not used as a Royal residence and by 1776, when George III decided to start using it again, it was in a somewhat decayed condition. The King engaged James Wyatt to undertake a certain amount of restoration and improvement, principally to St. George's Chapel and to the north and east ranges of the Upper Ward, but it was only when George IV hired Wyatt's nephew, Sir James Wyatville, that a major renovation programme really began.  Between 1823 and 1840 Wyatville totally overhauled the castle, harmonising the previously rather disparate architecture and giving it the overall profile and appearance that it still has today.
At least two other versions of this Windsor view by Belanger are recorded; both are approximately half the size of the present work.  One was sold at Christie's on 22nd June 1936, lot 25.  The other, painted for the Russian Ambassador, Prince Polignac, in 1797 and paired with a view of Old Richmond Bridge, was sold in these Rooms on 14th April 1994, lot 374.
Belanger was widely travelled and made a speciality of foreign and exotic views.  A series of four gouaches of Jamaican views, dated 1795 and 1796, were sold in these Rooms on 22nd October 1982. He worked extensively in England and exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1790 and 1797.  In 1798 he was appointed Court Painter in Stockhom, where he died in 1816