- 186
John Hoppner, R.A.
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- John Hoppner, R.A.
- Portrait of Sir John Osborn, Bt (1772–1848), of Chicksands Priory, Bedfordshire, half-length, wearing a blue coat with a red lined collar and white neck cloth
- oil on canvas
Provenance
By descent in the family of the sitter;
H.L. Smyth Esq.;
With Howard Young Galleries, New York, by 1930;
Richard Beatty Mellon (1858–1933), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;
Thence by family descent until given to The Westmoreland County Museum of Art, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, in 1966;
By whom sold, London, Sotheby's, 15 November 1989, lot 55.
H.L. Smyth Esq.;
With Howard Young Galleries, New York, by 1930;
Richard Beatty Mellon (1858–1933), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania;
Thence by family descent until given to The Westmoreland County Museum of Art, Greensburg, Pennsylvania, in 1966;
By whom sold, London, Sotheby's, 15 November 1989, lot 55.
Exhibited
San Francisco, The California Palace of the Legion of Honour, English painting of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, 6 June – 9 July 1933, no. 29;
Providence, Providence Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Old and new England, 19 January – 18 February 1945, no. 79;
Greensburg, The Westmoreland County Museum of Art, 1966–1989, inv. no. 66.164.
Providence, Providence Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Old and new England, 19 January – 18 February 1945, no. 79;
Greensburg, The Westmoreland County Museum of Art, 1966–1989, inv. no. 66.164.
Literature
Apollo, March 1930, p. 218, reproduced;
'Fine English Art Exhibition opens in San Francisco', in American Art News, 27 May 1933, p. 3, reproduced;
P.A. Chew (ed.), The Permanent Collection. The Westmoreland County Museum of Art, Greensburg 1978, p. 164, cat. no. 298.
'Fine English Art Exhibition opens in San Francisco', in American Art News, 27 May 1933, p. 3, reproduced;
P.A. Chew (ed.), The Permanent Collection. The Westmoreland County Museum of Art, Greensburg 1978, p. 164, cat. no. 298.
Condition
The canvas has a rather firm relining, the paint surface is clean and the varnish is clear, though slightly uneven. The paint surface appears to have bitumenised slightly in the background, particularly to the left of the sitter's head, and the retouching to diminish the appearance of this is visible to the naked eye. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals this retouching throughout the background around the sitter's head, to the shadows on the left side of his face, and to thin lines of craquelure across the sitter's face and neck scarf. The painting is in overall fair condition. Offered in a carved and gilt wood frame with some knocks.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Sir John Osborn was the son of General Sir George Osborn, Bt (1742–1818), Groom of the Bedchamber to George III, and his first wife Elizabeth Bannister. His grandfather, Sir Danvers Osborn, 3rd Bt, was Governor of New York in 1753. Sir John married Augusta Frederica Louis Valentia, daughter of Sir Charles Davers, Bt, in 1809, and succeeded his father as fifth baronet in 1818. He was Colonel of the Bedfordshire Militia, and Member of Parliament for the county. Hoppner also painted likenesses of Sir John's father and stepmother, Lady Heneage Osborn, which were in the collection of Sir Algernon Osborn, Bt, at the family seat at Chicksands Priory, Bedfordshire, circa 1900.