William Hoare of Bath R.A.

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined and has been cut to the frame edge. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be fairly good condition. The paint is slightly rubbed and thin in places, particularly towards the edges of the canvas. There is one old, repaired tear, in the sitter's face, to which there is some visible old retouching. The tear is L shaped and runs horizontally about 1 inch long below the right eye, and vertically about 1 inch long through the nose. There are three very small dots of visible old retouching in the background, upper right, as well as a small indent in the canvas nearby. There is also one very minor dot of visible retouching to the background upper left. There is some minor scuffing in the lower left corner, and one very minor scratch to the edge of the picture, centre left . ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms the condition mentioned above and reveals scattered minor retouching overall, predominantly in the lower section. FRAME Held in a 19th century moulded plaster and wood gilded frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@sothebys.com.
"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."

Reputedly the founding father of modern equity law, Yorke enjoyed a long and lucrative legal and political career. From inauspicious beginnings he rose to become Lord Chief Justice to the King's Bench in 1733, Lord Chancellor in 1737 and an influential member of the Council of Regency. As Lord High Steward he was responsible for the abolition of heritable jurisdictions and tartan in Scotland following the Jacobite uprising. He is depicted here in the robes of the keeper of the Great Seal.