- 458
Pauwels van Hillegaert
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Pauwels van Hillegaert
- Equestrian portrait of a gentleman
- inscribed with inventory number twice lower left: 280
- oil on oak panel
- 11½in by 10in
Provenance
John Clerk (1611-74), Edinburgh, and from 1654, Penicuik, Midlothian;1
By whom purchased for William Kerr, 3rd Earl of Lothian (1605-75), in Paris, July 1649, for £3;
Thence by descent.
By whom purchased for William Kerr, 3rd Earl of Lothian (1605-75), in Paris, July 1649, for £3;
Thence by descent.
Exhibited
Edinburgh, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Old Masters and Scottish National Portraits, 1883, no. 246 (as Attributed to Philips Wouwerman).
Literature
Newbattle Abbey inventory, c. 1726/27;
Newbattle Abbey inventory, c. 1788;
Newbattle Abbey inventory, 7 August 1824 (Lord Lothian's Business Room);
Newbattle Abbey inventory, March 1833, no. 280;
Newbattle Abbey inventory, May 1878, no. 280 (Breakfast Room);
Newbattle Abbey inventory, 21 May 1900, no. 280 (as by Philips Wouwerman, Study);
Newbattle Abbey inventory, December 1901, p. 71 (as by Philips Wouwerman, Lord Lothian's Study);
Monteviot House inventory, 14 July 1989, no. 280 (as by Philips Wouwerman, Morning Room);
R. Wenley, The Lothian Picture Collection: History and Context, M.Litt. diss., University of St Andrews, 1990, pp. 42-43, 45.
Newbattle Abbey inventory, c. 1788;
Newbattle Abbey inventory, 7 August 1824 (Lord Lothian's Business Room);
Newbattle Abbey inventory, March 1833, no. 280;
Newbattle Abbey inventory, May 1878, no. 280 (Breakfast Room);
Newbattle Abbey inventory, 21 May 1900, no. 280 (as by Philips Wouwerman, Study);
Newbattle Abbey inventory, December 1901, p. 71 (as by Philips Wouwerman, Lord Lothian's Study);
Monteviot House inventory, 14 July 1989, no. 280 (as by Philips Wouwerman, Morning Room);
R. Wenley, The Lothian Picture Collection: History and Context, M.Litt. diss., University of St Andrews, 1990, pp. 42-43, 45.
Condition
The panel is uncradled, flat and stable. The paint surface is relatively clean and the varnish is slightly discoloured but even. There are small, old, scattered retouchings throughout the body of the horse, and in the sky around the horse - these are visible in the catalogue illustration and fluoresce under ultraviolet light. In overall good condition.
"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
A letter from the 3rd Earl to Clerk, dated 30 June 1649, lists a large number of desired items, including this 'Cavallier'. The 'Cavalier on Horsebak ... £3-' also appears in a fragmentary reply from Clerk in which he sets out his prices for the Earl. Clerk's ledger of 1647 reveals that he had been in possession of the painting for around two years before the 3rd Earl purchased it.2
1. Clerk was one of the period's leading purchasers and suppliers of continental European works to Scottish collectors, and the 3rd Earl of Lothian was one of his most active clients. Having amassed a considerable fortune from his successful business ventures, Clerk bought the lands and barony of Penicuik, south of Edinburgh, in 1654, which have continued to be the residence and title of this family ever since.
2. All sources cited in Wenley 1990 (see Literature).