- 200
Thomas Rowlandson
Estimate
5,000 - 8,000 USD
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Description
- Thomas Rowlandson
- A Horse Sale at Hopkins' Repository, London
- Pen and gray ink and watercolor
Provenance
Sale, Newmarket, Tattersall's (unknown sale date);
with Colnaghi, London;
Arthur James Bartram 'Jim' Kiddell (1895-1980), to whom presented by the partners of Sotheby's, London, upon his 65th birthday,
thence by family descent
with Colnaghi, London;
Arthur James Bartram 'Jim' Kiddell (1895-1980), to whom presented by the partners of Sotheby's, London, upon his 65th birthday,
thence by family descent
Condition
Laid down. The sheet (and mount) have discolored. The medium however remains strong and colors vibrant.
Sold in a carved and gilded 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
The present drawing is a fine example of Thomas Rowlandson’s never-ceasing interest in the depiction of everyday life. Surrounded by a dense crowd, Mr Hopkins stands on a rostrum conducting a horse auction. By 1777 Hopkins was placing advertisements in London newspapers, stating that he had a regular ‘supply of fresh horses’ and that he was holding auctions at the ‘Bull and Gate Inn Yard Livery Stables and Repository’ in High Holborn.1 By 1783 he was trading opposite Dean Street, High Holborn and by 1787 he had moved to the ‘Red Lion Yard’, facing Dean Street. His last sale seems to have taken place in 1792 and it may have been at around this time that Rowlandson created the present work. There is another watercolor showing a sale at Hopkins’ in the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven.2
The present work was once owned by 'Jim' Kiddell, who worked at Sotheby’s between 1921 and 1979. He became a partner of the firm in 1945 and was hugely respected for his expertise in fields as diverse as pottery, porcelain, glass, oriental art, furniture and carpets.
The present work was once owned by 'Jim' Kiddell, who worked at Sotheby’s between 1921 and 1979. He became a partner of the firm in 1945 and was hugely respected for his expertise in fields as diverse as pottery, porcelain, glass, oriental art, furniture and carpets.
1. The Daily Advertiser, 1 December 1777, Issue 14651
2. J. Riely, Rowlandson, Drawings from the Paul Mellon Collection, London 1975, p. 53, no. 75