- 106
Arthur Devis
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 USD
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Description
- Arthur Devis
- Portrait of Jonas Hanway, seated at a table beside a surveyor's theodolite and a classical urn, overlooking a landscape
- oil on canvas, laid down on board
Provenance
With Frost & Reed Ltd., London;
Anonymous sale ("Property from a Distinguished American Collection"), London, Christie's, 22 November 2006, lot 21;
There purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence J. Pratt, Mission Hill Kansas.
Anonymous sale ("Property from a Distinguished American Collection"), London, Christie's, 22 November 2006, lot 21;
There purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence J. Pratt, Mission Hill Kansas.
Condition
The canvas has been laid down on board and the paint surface has been very slightly pressed as a result. The detail throughout is very well retained, especially in the figure. There is minor scuffing at the extreme edges. Under UV light: there are very small, scattered inpaints to craquelure in face and collar; a very small retouch can be seen on left hand; other minor retouches in background and sky. There is some possible reinforcement in the blacks of costume. All of these have been well applied and there is no need for further work. Painting can be hung as is.
In a carved and gilt wood frame.
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 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.
Catalogue Note
Jonas Hanway (1712-1786) was a merchant and philanthropist. In 1729 he was apprenticed to an English merchant in Lisbon where he spent twelve years. In 1743 he joined the Russia Company and spent the next seven years in St. Petersburg, including an adventure-filled trading expedition to Persia. Hanway established his name in 1753 with the published account of his travels in Russia and Persia in his four volume text An Historical Account of the British Trade over the Caspian Sea. He thereafter devoted himself to philanthropic pursuits. He was founder of the Marine Society, a governor and eventually the vice-president of the Foundling Hospital, and helped to establish the Magdalen Hospital for Penitent Prostitutes. He also supported the Stepney Society, which apprencticed poor boys to marine trades, and the Troop Society which provided clothing to British soldiers. Hanway is also remembered for popularizing the use of the umbrella in London. After his death in 1788, a memorial was dedicated to him in Westminster Abbey, the first to commemorate a philanthropist.