Attributed to Samuel Andrews

Sale, Cheffins, Cambridge, 24 November 2011, lot 621 

On loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2012-2014

The miniature is in good condition. There is dust and dirt on the inside of the cover glass. There are also some small areas of mould on the paint layer, on the sitter's jacket and in the background to the right of the face. These areas are very small.
"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."

The sitter was an important figure in the mid-Georgian era. After Eton and Cambridge, he served as a solider, where he rose to the rank of General. He played a major role in the American War of Independence and it was his surrender to George Washington at Yorktown on the 19 October 1781, that effectively ended the conflict.

He was also a leading politician and diplomat. He held office as the Master General of the Ordinance within William Pitt’s cabinet, he served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and, in 1801, he negotiated a brief peace with France, when he met Napoleon at Amiens.

Amongst his greatest achievements was his appointment as the first governor-general of India in 1786. He held that office three times and is remembered for his hard-line attitude to the corruption that plagued the East India Company and his defeat of the mighty Tiger of Mysore, Tipu Sultan. 

The present miniature is very likely to have been painted by the Irish artist Samuel Andrews. It is a copy after John Smart’s 1792 portrait of the Marquess.¹ Andrews travelled to India in 1791 and he had settled in Madras by the end of that year. He was to remain in India for the rest of this life and, while there, he adopted a highly detailed miniature technique, which is comparable to John Smart’s style. The two artists certainly knew each other and when Smart decided to return to Britain, in 1795, Andrews moved into his Madras house. 

1. M.Archer, India and British Portraiture 1770-1825, Oxford 1979, p. 392, no. 294