Andien de Clermont

The Radcliffe family, Hitchen Priory, Hertfordshire, by 1926;
Thence by descent within the family;
Anonymous sale ("Property of a Gentleman"), New York, Christie’s, 31 January 1997, lot 94.

H. Avray Tipping, English Homes, IV, II, 1926, p.265, reproduced fig. 416;
H. Avray Tipping, Country Life, LVIII, 1926, reproduced (shown in the hall of Hitchin Priory).

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 pair of three paneled screens is in remarkably good condition. They have been recently restored. Barring any scratches to the varnish, they should be hung in their current condition. It seems that the bottom decorative sections of each screen are not original, and may have been added to make the works taller or to raise the beautiful passages along the bottom of the original screens away from the ground. The remainder each screen is original. The canvases show no joins, and it seems that each canvas is a single piece of linen. The reverse of each panel shows a Georgian red painted linen. The most remarkable element to the condition is that there is no abrasion to any of the paint layers. This certainly is remarkable for any picture from this period, let alone what is ultimately a decorative free standing screen. Works of this kind are often in poor condition. I believe detailing and outlining each restoration is unnecessary, as one can so clearly see that the condition of each panel is remarkably good. The work should be presented as is.
"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."

Andien de Clermont was an inventive and popular artist active in England during the 18th Century. Clermont enjoyed consistent patronage from a series of novelty-loving Francophile patrons, enabling him to pursue a highly successful career as a painter of lighthearted and satirical themes. These decorative works were largely in the contemporary Gallic style, each one tailored to reflect the interests of the individual client.

Clermont trained as a flower-painter in the London studio of Antoine Monnoyer (1670-1747) where he acquired the aesthetic knowledge of flora and fauna which we see so prominently featured in his later and most reputable works. Clermont built a reputation amongst the aristocracy as not only a painter, but as an interior decorator as well. His first notable commission is recorded in 1732, when he was employed to paint a staircase in the London home of the noted French doctor, Jean Misaubin. Important patrons in the following years included Sir James Dashwood, and the first Marquess of Rockingham.

The present work would seem to date from the 1740s, a juncture in the artist’s career, during which time it became increasingly common for the central motifs in his work to hold the principle position in design. Such an avante-garde stylistic choice was probably owed to his good reputation and loyal client base.

Subsequent to the previous sale of the present screen (see Provenance), the bottom sections of the panels, all decorated with the same motif, were added by the current owner.