Lot 129
Lot 129
Lot Details
The Property of a Family
George Romney
Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire 1734–1802 Kendal, Cumbria
Portrait of an officer, half-length, traditionally said to be John Cunningham, 15th Earl of Glencairn (1749–1796)
oil on canvas
unframed: 76.2 x 63.5 cm.; 30 x 25 in.
framed: 99 x 86.3 cm.; 39 x 34 in.
Condition Report
The canvas is lined and the paint surface is stable. The entire surface is covered in a layer of old varnish which is yellow and dirty. There is exaggerated craquelure in the background and just above the sitter's head, these areas bear traces of old retouching which have discoloured over time. There are small areas of retouching visible in the sitter's red jacket and on the his face. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms this, and reveals that the surface is covered in an old layer of reflective varnish, which hides early campaigns of retouching particularly in the background. Overall the painting is in fair condition and would benefit from professional conservation.
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.
Provenance
Possibly painted for the sitter but never collected; remained with the artist;
Whereby passed to William Saunders, who organised Romney's posthumous sale;
Stephen Mitchell (1847–1920), Boquhan, Kippen, Stirlingshire;
By whose Trustees sold ('Sold by the Order of the Trustees of Stephen Mitchell, Esq., deceased late of Boquhan, Kippen, Stirlingshire'), 24 November 1933, lot 142 (as attributed to George Romney), for 135 guineas, to Mr Cooper;
With Thomas McLean, Haymarket, London (according to notes from the present owner);
From whom acquired by an ancestor of the present owner.
Literature
H. Ward and W. Roberts, Romney, A Biographical and Critical Essay with a Catalogue Raisonné of his Works, London 1904, vol. II, p. 61;
A. Kidson, George Romney: A complete catalogue of his paintings, New Haven and London 2015, vol. I, p. 239, no. 506 (as untraced).
Catalogue Note
Although this painting has been called a portrait of John Cunningham, 15th Earl of Glencairn (1749–1796), for close to a century, this identification is now in doubt. Glencairn is recorded as having sat for Romney in 1792, however, the resulting portrait was noted as a 'half-length' in the surviving sitter books, which in the artist's terms was a standard measurement of 50 by 40 inches and not the dimensions of this portrait. Furthermore, the uniform present in this painting does not relate to the 14th Regiment of Light Dragoons, the regiment in which Glencairn served. It is possible that this portrait may depict John's elder brother James Cunningham, 14th Earl of Glencairn (1749–1791), although there is no evidence to suggest that James ever sat for the artist. The 14th Earl also had a career in the military and served as a captain in the Western Regiment of Fencibles. A later nineteenth-century engraving of James by Henry Robinson (act. 1827–1872) bears a striking facial resemblance to the sitter in this painting, albeit with minor differences in the costume, therefore making the identification plausible.1
Andrew Cormack has noted that epaulettes on both shoulders indicate that the officer in this painting belonged to the Grenadier Company of his regiment. There were numerous units that wore yellow facings, collar, cuffs and lapels with silver lace at this period, including the Western Regiment of Fencibles. However, it is impossible to be certain of the precise unit represented here.
We are grateful to Alex Kidson for endorsing the attribution of the painting to George Romney on the basis of digital photographs and to Andrew Cormack for his assistance in identifying the military uniform.
1 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1943-0410-768
Additional Notices & Disclaimers
Please note that Condition 12 of the Conditions of Business for Buyers (Online Only) is not applicable to this lot.