Sir John Lavery, R.A., R.S.A., R.H.A.

The family of the sitter and by descent to the present owner

Original canvas. The work appears in very good overall condition. Some occasion and isolated areas of craquelure which appear stable and only visible upon close inspection. Under UV light, there are some small spots and flecks of retouching to the extreme edges due to peripheral frame rubbing. Some minor flecks and infill to the craquelure in places, including to the mother's nose and the boy's right cheek, otherwise in good order. Held in a gilt composite frame, ready to hang.
"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."

Sir John Lavery, R.A. was one of the most important and talented painters of his generation: an orphan from Belfast who rose from the poverty stricken Ireland of the 1850s to become a leading member of the Glasgow Boys, a Royal Academician, official war artist and royal portraitist. He was a progressive artist, friend of Whistler and Rodin who quickly embraced the many innovations occurring in France in the 1880s and developed a painterly, sophisticated style which enabled him to paint a huge variety of subjects. Feted by the rich and famous, he achieved huge critical acclaim in his own lifetime.

One of the mainstays of his career in the early years of the century was portraiture. He established himself as one of the most fashionable portraitists of the period and with his Glasgow connections he would have been the obvious choice for the Scottish Maconochie family. The portrait shows Jane Maconochie (née Webb Mills, b.1878), wife of Archibald White Maconochie (1854-1926) and her three children from left to right: Margaret Jean (b.1905), Archibald Benn Duntley (b.1907) and Vera Elizabeth Jean (b.1904) in an English country garden setting. The small doll that can be seen peeking out from underneath Archibald’s chair represents the fourth child of the family that Jane is carrying, Jean Constance who would be born in 1909. The paint surface has the typical broad and animated brushstrokes that were so desired by Lavery’s patrons at the time. Works with a high degree of finish were considered old fashioned and this allowed Lavery to inject more life into the handling of the paint, creating a more informal and naturalistic overall effect.  

Archibald White Maconochie was a Scottish Liberal Unionist politician, elected in 1900 as MP for East Aberdeenshire, losing his seat in 1906. He founded Maconochie Brothers with his brother James in 1873, selling preserved provisions including bottled fruit. In 1907 the company invented “Pan Yan Pickle”, a sandwich relish and they established a large factory on the Isle of Dogs among other places, and while the factory is long gone, it is still called Maconochie's Wharf today. The company also supplied the troops with canned food rations during the first world war. Pan Yan pickle was being made up until 2002 by Rowntree McIntosh, when the secret recipe was lost in a fire at the company’s Suffolk factory.

While Archibald Benn went on to live the sort of pleasure-seeking lifestyle made possible by the wealth amassed by his father, we know that at least two of the three girls took varied and interesting paths. Vera became a professional opera singer in the 1930s, travelling with her singing partner, soprano Guelda Waller as far as America to perform and appearing on some of the earliest television programmes. She also had a secondary career as a farmer. In the 1940s she ran a 200-acre specialist beef holding in Uckfield. She was very active in the National Farmers Union and was made an honorary member. Margaret was a racing driver, and winner of the official BARC race for lady drivers at Brooklands, Weybridge in 1927.