A Pair of Early George II Britannia Standard Silver Wine Coolers, Paul Crespin, London, 1728-29

John, 3rd Earl of Bute K.G. (1713-1792) and by descent until sold

Christie's, London, "Works of Art from the Bute Collection," 3 July 1996, lot 100.

The arms are those of John Stuart, 3rd Earl of Bute (1713-1792) encircled by the motto and insignia of the Order of the Thistle to which he was appointed in 1738. Lord Bute succeeded to the earldom in 1723 at the age of nine after the death of his father. He was raised by his maternal uncle John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll and educated at Eton before studying civil law in the Netherlands. Afterwards he spent his time studying botany and architecture at his family seat Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute, Scotland and in 1736 married Mary Wortley Montagu (1718-1794), daughter of the collier and politician Edward Wortley Montagu (1678-1761). During their stays in London the Earl began a friendship with Frederick, Prince of Wales and served as tutor to the Prince’s son, the future George III. It was a position which would prove beneficial to the Earl whose political career surged forward on the death of George II and the succession of his former pupil. He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1760 and then Secretary of State for the Northern department. Following the resignations of William Pitt the Elder and the 1st Duke of Newcastle Lord Bute stepped into the role of Prime Minister and served for ten months from 1762 to 1763.

As Bute was still a minor when these wine coolers were hallmarked, he must have acquired them second-hand, probably on his coming-of-age in 1734, and before his 1736 wedding as his wife’s arms do not appear, despite her being a notable heiress. He also owned a set of four candlesticks in a complimentary style by Nicolas Outrebon, Paris, 1735 (1996 Bute sale, lot 93) which may point to a Grand Tour and an appreciation of current French styles. However, the candlesticks were copied by Crespin for a set of 1736 (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, WA1946.105.1-4), so perhaps Crespin supplied both candlesticks and wine coolers to the young Lord Bute.

By the mid-1750s the Earl was a convert to the rococo style, and an early and important patron of Thomas Heming. After his political fall from grace, he had Robert Adam build a new house at Luton Hoo, where “Capability” Brown was already at work on the park. These coolers thus represent an early, Francophile moment for one of the great patrons and collectors of 18^th century Britain.