Studio of John Hamilton

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby’s, 31 October 1990, lot 140;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie’s, 27 October 2004, lot 64, where acquired by the present owner.

The following condition report is provided by Sarah Walden who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's: A Tigress and her Cubs Threatened by a Snake: This painting, like its pair, has a firm lining, which may well date from the later part of the last century, with the restoration. It was not possible to examine the back. Both paintings appear to have strong probably fairly recent stretchers, and to have remained secure, without traces of raised or loose paint, or of weak past stretcher bar lines. There is a fine minute craquelure in the darker areas. The occasional minor accidental knocks characteristic of larger canvases can be found in a few places, with scattered small retouchings in the upper left background and a larger retouched damage at upper right just above the tail of the tiger. Various fairly free surface retouches can be seen under ultra violet light elsewhere in the background where rather older varnish remains. Much of the main body of the tiger has been well preserved, while lower down there is fairly extensive strengthening in the darker markings of the fur and around the paws, with the feeding cubs clearly outlined. The snake in the lower left corner has also had some strengthening, but the foreground elsewhere is largely intact. The canvas clearly remains firm and strong. This report was not done under laboratory conditions. A Tiger and a Lion: This painting, like its pair, has a firm lining, which probably dates back to the later part of the last century, with the restoration. I was not able to examine the back, but there is clearly a strong stretcher presumably also quite recent. A certain amount of retouching can be seen under ultra violet light up the left edge, with one or two other minor incidental knocks retouched in the background including one above the tail of the tiger, and a little vertical scratch at the upper centre of the background. A slightly wider patch of detailed retouching in the fine craquelure of the background can be seen on the right, behind the paw of the tiger. The impasto of the tiger's central paw also has one retouched filling, which could perhaps be slightly older than the general recent restoration. There has been some similar strengthening of the defining details in the darks nearer the foreground which was visible in the pendant. However this painting appears better preserved generally with vigorous brushwork remaining in good condition overall. This report was not done under laboratory conditions.
"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 lions and tigers in the present paintings are based on similar animals in much larger compositions by Rubens: The Four Quarters of the World, in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, and Neptune and Amphitrite, formerly in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum, Berlin, destroyed in World War II. J.B.A. George Hamilton copied the Flemish master, admiring the dramatic movement and power of his compositions. Hamilton, who was active in the 1750s, originated from a family of painters, specialising in painting subjects of the chase, especially wild animals contending for their prey, game and hunting weapons. The present pictures are studio repetitions of a pair of almost identical paintings based on Rubens signed and dated J. B. A. George de Hamilton Pinx 1753, sold New York, Sotheby's, 26 May 2016, lots 43 and 44.