Jacques Laurent Agasse

Anonymous Sale, Brussels, 1965;
with Appleby, 1966, by whom sold to Paul Mellon;
his sale, London, Sotheby's, 18th November 1981, lot 80 (bt. for £3200 by the present owner)

Washington National Gallery of Art, no. 2662, lent by Paul Mellon

J. Egerton, British Sporting and Animal Paintings, 1655-1867, London 1978, no.189 (illus. pl. 63), p.183

STRUCTURE The canvas has been firmly lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in fairly good condition, with no apparent recent damage or loss of paint. There is a vertical old tear, left of centre, running for almost the whole depth of the painting, to which there is visible retouching. it is this tear that accounts for the firm lining and as a result the paint has been slightly flattened. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms the retouching mentioned above, to the vertical tear, and reveals a small amount of further minor retouching to the canvas edges. FRAME Held in a gilded neo-classical frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact the department.
"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."

Painted circa 1805 Judy Egerton suggests that the present work could be related to various paintings mentioned in the artist's manuscript Record Book - 'Sdy of a brun pointer in motion, small size' (9th May 1804), 'Portrait of a man & two pointer dogs shooting kitkat' (8th November 1804) and 'Painted three pointer dogs in another mans picture small size' (8th May 1806).