Lot 99
Lot 99
Lot Details
Thomas Gainsborough, R.A.
Sudbury 1727–1788 London
Portrait of James Haviland (c. 1747–1779), half-length, in a painted oval
oil on canvas
unframed: 76.2 x 63.5 cm.; 30 x 25 in.
framed: 95.4 x 83.1 cm.; 37½ x 32¾ in.
Condition Report
The canvas is lined, the paint surface is clean and the varnish is clear. Areas of well preserved impasto are found in parts of the sitter’s dress. Areas of slight surface abrasion are visible, notably in the figure’s outline. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveal infilling to the craquelure in the lower half of the picture in the sitter’s dress. The picture is in overall good condition.
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
By descent to the sitter's grandson, Rev.d James Haviland (1772–1830);
His descendant's sale, London, Christie's, 19 July 1875, lot 227, for £10.10s to Lesser;
Colonel Hillway, by 1889;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 19 March 1898, lot 165, for £39.18s to McLean;
With Sedelmeyer, Paris;
With Edward Brandus, New York;
His sale, New York, James P. Silo, 12–14 March 1906, lot 182, where unsold;
His sale, New York, Fifth Avenue Art Galleries, 17–18 April 1907, lot 133, where unsold;
His sale, New York, Fifth Avenue Art Galleries, 1–3 April 1908, lot 114, possibly unsold;
J.O. Mathieson;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 20 June 1919, lot 68 (as attributed to Gainsborough), for £714 to Crementi;
Anonymous sale, London, Motcomb Galleries, 7 November 1962, lot 270, for £68 to Sabin;
Thence by descent.
Literature
S. Sloman, Gainsborough in Bath, New Haven and London 2002, pp. 109–11, fig. 94, reproduced;
H. Belsey, Thomas Gainsborough, New Haven and London 2019, vol. I, p. 455, no. 461, reproduced.
Exhibited
London, Whitechapel Gallery, 1886 or 1889, no. 10 (according to Belsey 2019);
Bath, Assembly Rooms, International Art Treasures Exhibition, 11 August – 8 September 1973, no. 2;
On loan to Gainsborough's House, Sudbury, January 2002 – January 2003.
Catalogue Note
Commissioned in about 1770, this elegant portrait depicts James Haviland, an apothecary from Bath. He inherited the family business that year, following his father's death. The latter, Thomas Haviland (c. 1706–1770), was also painted by Gainsborough. His portrait is now in the National Museum, Stockholm.1 James Haviland was also painted by Thomas Beach in a three-quarter-length likeness.2 This work was last recorded at auction in 1965, erroneously attributed to Thomas Gainsborough.3
1 Inv. no. NM 2100; oil on canvas; 129 x 103 cm.; https://collection.nationalmuseum.se/eMP/eMuseumPlus?service=ExternalInterface&module=collection&objectId=19160
2 E.S. Beach, Thomas Beach: A Dorset Portrait Painter, London 1934, p. 63, no. 143.
3 Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 7 April 1965, lot 201, for £110 to Klein (as attributed to Thomas Gainsborough).