Thomas Gibson

Portrait of Admiral Sir Charles Wager (1666-1743)

Lot Closed

January 18, 04:54 PM GMT

Estimate

4,000 - 6,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Property from the Berkeley Collection at Spetchley Park

Thomas Gibson

London 1680 - 1751

Portrait of Admiral Sir Charles Wager (1666-1743)

oil on canvas

unframed: 125.3 x 101.5 cm.; 49 ⅜ x 40 in.

framed: 150 x 125.4 cm.; 59 ⅛ x 49 ⅜ in.

Richard Temple-Nugent-Bryges-Chandos-Grenville, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Chandos (1797-1861), Stowe House, Buckinghamshire;

His sale, Christie's, on the premises, Stowe House, 14 September 1848 (15 August - 7 October 1848), lot 302, to R. Berkeley, Esq., for £8-18s.-6d. (as Dahl);

Thence by descent to the present owner.

Inventory and Valuation of the furniture and effects at Spetchley Park, Worcester, The Property of R.G. Berkeley, Esquire, December 1949, listed in the 'Middle Hall', p. 117 (as Dahl).

Admiral Sir Charles Wager (1666-1743) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He served mainly in the West Indies and after his successful expedition in Cartagena he was knighted in 1709. Furthermore, Wager was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty and Treasurer of the Navy around 1734. He was involved in the development of new bases in the Caribbean and was an early innovator in the use of citrus fruits against scurvy. He was subsequently elected MP for Westminster where his opinion was highly regarded, and his written letters survive to this day. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.

The most notable likeness of Admiral Sir Charles Wager is a three-quarter-length portrait by Sir Godfrey Kneller in the National Maritime Museum, London.¹

¹https://www.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/rmgc-object-14547