Hugh Douglas Hamilton

By descent in the Armstrong-MacDonnell family, Rowhook, Sussex, until acquired by the present owner.

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good overall condition with no apparent damage or loss of paint except for what appears to be retouching to an area of minor old repaired damage in the frame of the chair, however the paint surface does have a grainy texture in places and there is the odd minor area of localised movement, such as the beginnings of cracking to the background centre right. The stretcher bar marks are also visible and there is a discoloured varnish and surface dirt overall as is consistent with the picture's age. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms both the aforementioned retouching and the dirty varnish which impedes further inspection however it is possible to discern minor retouching to the upper areas of the face, which is mainly infilling to an old craquelure. There is also evidence of very old retouching throughout the background and some more recent work to an old repaired diagonal tear in the background upper right, measuring approx. 3 in. Elsewhere there are scattered minor retouches to the dress, hair and table. Overall though the picture appears to be in good condition. FRAME Held in a fine neo-classical carved 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."

Perhaps one of the finest of a small group of female sitters that Hugh Douglas Hamilton painted in Dublin in the 1790s, this picture has traditionally been identified as a portrait of Lady Charlotte McDonnell, suo jure Countess of Antrim. It has descended in the Armstrong-MacDonnell family, descendants of Katherine Anne MacDonnell, who married Andrew Armstrong of Kilsharvan House, County Meath, in 1814. Katherine was the daughter of James MacDonnell of Belfast and Murlough, a kinsman of the MacDonnells of Antrim.

A similar portrait of Charlotte's elder sister, Anne Catherine MacDonnell, who preceded her as Countess of Antrim, painted by Hamilton circa 1800, of the same dimensions to the present work, remains in the possession of her direct descendants (Private Collection, Ireland). Charlotte, who was born in 1779, would have been 21 years old when Hamilton painted her sister. It therefore seems possible, given the apparent age of the sitter in this picture, that, in accordance with family tradition, it may well be a pendant to the portrait of her elder sibling. The suggested identity is further supported by comparison with a tondo profile portrait of Charlotte by an unknown artist dating from a few years later. (For this portrait and more on 'the quarrelling Countesses' rivalry see Anthony Malcomson, The Pursuit of the Heiress, Aristocratic Marriage in Ireland, 1740-1840, Belfast 2006, pp. 96-98). Hamilton painted relatively few female sitters in this period, but one other comparable picture from the same date is his Portrait of Mary Anne, Countess of Belmore (Private collection, on loan to National Trust, Castle Coole, Co. Fermanagh).