Arthur William Devis

By family descent to Sir James Cockburn 9th Bt.;

Thence by descent to his daughter, Mariana Augusta, wife of Sir James Hamilton, Bt., by whom bequeathed to the National Gallery, London, 1892;

Ceded to the beneficiaries of the will of Sir James Cockburn, by whom sold, London, Christie's, 25 June 1900, lot 12 (as of Sir James Cockburn, 7th Bt. in naval uniform), to Seligman for £39.18;

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 11 April 1919, lot 51 (as of Admiral Sir George Cockburn in naval uniform), to Pursey for £304.10;

Guinevere, Countess of Midleton, 1975;

Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's, 27 March 1987, lot 69.

This portrait, said to be of James Cockburn, was painted by Arthur William Devis, the nineteenth child of Arthur Devis (1711-1787).  Following in the footsteps of his father, Devis was a pupil at the Royal Academy Schools and exhibited at the Free Society of Artists and the Royal Academy throughout his career.

Cockburn was commissioned into the 19^th Light Dragoons, a calvary regiment formed in the late-18^th century for service in India, in 1791. Soon after joining, he was named Lieutenant and served for five years until he disappeared from the Army List in 1796. Members of this regiment are usually identified by their yellow facings, gold lace and buttons, and blue and yellow belt, which can be found in this portrait. 

We are grateful to Dr. Andrew Cormack for his assistance with the cataloguing of this lot.