George Romney
Portrait of Catherine Chichester (1765-91), half-length, wearing a white dress with a blue sash
Estimate:
12,000 - 18,000 GBP
The Property of a Gentleman
George Romney
Dalton 1734 - 1802 Kendal
Portrait of Catherine Chichester (1765-91), half-length, wearing a white dress with a blue sash
oil on canvas
unframed: 76.8 x 63.8 cm.; 30 1/4 x 25 1/8 in.
framed: 98.4 x 85.5 cm.; 38 3/4 x 33 5/8 in.
The canvas is lined, the paint surface is clean, and the varnish is clear and even. There is some bitumenisation apparent in the darker pigments of the background, particularly around the sitter's hair. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a fairly extensive campaign of retouching: throughout ,much of the background, to disguise the network of craquelure caused by the bitumenisation; in the network of craquelure in the sitter's face; to parts of her hair; and in some areas of strengthening in the shadowed folds of her collar. There is a more concentrated area in the background to the right of her neck. This intervention has, however, been very sensitively-executed, and the painting presents well in its current state, without a need for further intervention.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colors and shades which are different to the lot's actual color and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation. The condition report is a statement of opinion only. For that reason, the condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS ONLINE CONDITION REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE/BUSINESS APPLICABLE TO THE RESPECTIVE SALE.
Thence by descent to the sitter's brother-in-law, Sir Thomas Hugh Clifford, Bt. (later Constable; 1762-1823), Tixall, Staffordshire and Burton Constable, Yorkshire;
Lt.-Col. Raleigh Chichester-Constable, D.L., Burton Constable, Yorkshire;
By whom sold, London, Christie's, 8 July 1927, lot 46, for 4,000 Guineas to Knoedler;
With M. Knoedler and Co., New York, by whom sold to
Clendenin James Ryan (1882-1939), Baltimore;
His posthumous sale, New York, Parke-Bernet Galleries, 19 January 1940, lot 208;
Anonymous sale ('The Property of a New York Estate Bequeathed to an Eastern University'), New York, Christie's, 12 January 1994, lot 141;
With Rafael Valls, London, from whom acquired, 21 January 1994, by the present owner.
A. Kidson, George Romney, A complete catalogue of his paintings, New Haven and London 2015, vol. I, p. 127, cat. no. 237, reproduced in colour.
Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear Museums, on loan 2007-12;
Newcastle upon Tyne, Laing Art Gallery, on loan 2015;
National Trust, Arlington Court, Devon, on loan until 2020.
Catherine Chichester was the elder daughter of John Chichester of Arlington, Devon. This portrait was painted in 1789 - the sitter and her sister, Mary (whose portrait is in the Burton Constable Foundation, East Yorkshire),1 had eight appointments with Romney between April and November that year. Catherine later entered a convent in Bruges, where she died only two years after this portrait was executed.