Louis-Gabriel Blanchet

Possibly painted for Henry Arundell, 8th Baron Arundell of Wardour (1740–1808), thence by descent within the family of the Lords Arundell of Wardour;
Anonymous sale, Monaco, Sotheby’s, 17 June 1988, lot 887, where acquired by the present owner.

The canvas has been relined. The paint surface is clean. To the naked eye there is some retouching to the sitter’s forehead, shirt and in the background, There is a 4 cm damage to the sitter’s cheek, and a 10 cm repaired tear from the chin to the left shoulder. There is a further 7 cm repaired tear to the base of the left hand column. Ultra violet inspection reveals an uneven layer of varnish and further retouching to the forehead, cheek and upper left corner, and to the lower right corner and the area next to the sitter’s right shoulder. The work is offered 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. 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."

Henry Arundell, 8th Baron Arundell of Wardour (1740–1808) was the son of Henry, 7th Baron Arundell of Wardour (1717–1756), and is documented as being in Rome in 1760, and as such would have been roughly twenty years old when this portrait was painted. He was notoriously profligate and undertook an extensive redevelopment project of Wardour Castle, the family seat, saddling his heirs with considerable debts upon his death, which resulted in much of the family estate being sold. He was an enthusiastic collector of art and had an elegant full-length portrait of himself painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, now held at the Dayton Art Institute, Ohio.¹

1. Inv. no 1969.52. See, D. Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds, A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings, New Haven and London 2000, p. 359, cat. no. 816, reproduced.