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  • Posts Tagged ‘Sir Joshua Reynolds’

    FUNDRAISING EFFORT TO SAVE PORTRAIT OF OMAI

    Friday, February 24th, 2023
    SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS – ‘Portrait of Omai’

    One of the earliest great portraits of a person of colour, Sir Joshua Reynolds Portrait of Omai is the subject of a major fundraising attempt in the UK. The portrait, bought by Irish stud owner and collector John Magnier in 2001 for £10 million, is on the market for £50 million. This is more than has ever been paid for an 18th century portrait. A British government ban on the sale of the painting runs out on March 10. The National Portrait Gallery is spearheading a bid to save the work before it is sold abroad. An innovative scheme would see the portrait bought jointly by the Getty Museum in California and the National Portrait Gallery. Omai was a Polynesian Islander who sailed to Britain one of Captain Cook’s ships, arriving in 1774. He was greatly admired by British Society, and returned to Polynesia with Cook’s third voyage in 1777.

    MARY PALMER, ARTIST AND MARCHIONESS OF THOMOND

    Monday, January 9th, 2023
    Mary Palmer, Marchioness of Thomond, after Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A.
    Portrait of Edward, 1st Lord Eliot (1727-1804). UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    A portrait by Mary Palmer (1750-1820), wife of Murrough O’Brien, Marchioness of Thomond and niece of Sir Joshua Reynolds, comes up at Sotheby’s annual Royal and Noble auction online until January 18.  Her portrait of the  activist, abolitionist and reformer Edward James Eliot, 1st Lord Eliot, MP and Treasury minister during the government of Pitt the Younger, is an almost direct copy of Reynold’s original from 1781.  No signed work by Mary Palmer is known but Sotheby’s say the inscription on the back would appear to securely identify this one as by her hand.  Mary married the fifth Earl of Inchiquin in 1792. They were created Marquis and Marchioness of Thomond in 1800 as a result of their support for the Act of Union.  Mary was chief beneficiary of Sir Joshua’s  will, receiving nearly £100,000 and his art collection.  The portrait is estimated at £7,000-£10,000 (€7,914-€11,305).

    PORTRAIT OF 20TH EARL OF KILDARE AND HIS WIFE SOLD AT BONHAMS

    Thursday, July 5th, 2018

    James, 20th Earl of Kildare and his wife Emily Mary in the grounds of Carton, by Arthur Devis from the collection of the Duke of Leinster, sold for 262,000 euro at Bonhams Old Master Paintings sale in London on July 4. It had been estimated at 80,000-100,000, and was one of five works from the collection in the sale. They made a combined total of 510,215.

    The painting shows the Earl and his wife seated in the garden of the new family seat at Carton House in Kildare, commissioned by his father in 1739. The Countess is portrayed holding the plans for a bridge.

    Bonhams Representative in Ireland, Kieran O’Boyle, “These five beautiful and important pictures from the collection of the Duke of Leinster created quite the buzz when Bonhams announced their inclusion in today’s Old Master Picture sale. That interest translated into spirited competition among bidders on the telephone and in the room, seeing all five sold, with the wonderful double portrait by Arthur Devis”.

    Portrait of Emily Mary, Duchess of Leinster by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), sold for 92,215.  Portrait of Emilia Olivia, Duchess of Leinster by Hugh Douglas Hamilton (1740-1808), sold for 50,000. A pair of Views of Maynooth Castle by William Ashford P.R.H.A. (1746-1824), sold for 106,000.

    (See post on antiquesandartireland.com for June 17, 2018)

    James, 20th Earl of Kildare and his wife Emily Mary in the grounds of Carton, by Arthur Devis

    Portrait of Emily Mary, Duchess of Leinster by Sir Joshua Reynolds

    AN EXTRAORDINARY HOUSE CONTENTS SALE IN LONDON

    Saturday, May 20th, 2017
    The Belgrave Square home of Irish tycoon Edward Haughey has been described as the Downton Abbey of our times.  Contents from his extraordinary London home – which formed a backdrop to life at the highest levels of British society – will come under the hammer at Sotheby’s on May 23 and 24.
    The Kilcurry, Co. Louth born pharmaceutical magnate Lord Ballyedmond (no relation of the late Taoiseach)  who died in a helicopter crash in 2014 was a keen collector with very deep pockets. Inspired by the Regency and neoclassical designs of Robert Adam he transformed a once dormant property in one of London’s most prestigious squares into a modern evocation of a great Georgian town house. Along the way he amassed a collection of paintings, tapestries, porcelain, silver and furniture.
    Among the lots are a silver wine cistern capable of accommodating over 70 bottles of champagne. This is a 1992 reproduction of a 1719 original by Paul de Lamerie and is estimated at £80,000-120,000. A 19th century dinner service with the arms of the Thurn & Taxis family is estimated at £2,500-3,500, a portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds of Mrs. Richard Pennant has an estimate of £20,000-30,000 and a Louis XV tapestry is estimated at £12,000-18,000. Other lots include a silver aviary, chandeliers, marble sculptures, clocks and collectibles.

    Born in 1944 Lord Ballyedmond is renowned as only the second person in history after the Marquess of Lansdowne in the 1920’s to have sat in the upper houses of both the Irish and British  parliaments. A second sale, the Ballyedmond collection part II: Gentlemen’s Accessories Online, will open on May 23.  It will feature objects like cufflinks, tie pins and watches by makers including Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, Boucheron and Tiffany. Estimates range from £150 to £6,000.

    UPDATE:  THE sale totalled £4.4 million with bidders from every continents and a sell through rate of 94.3%.  Most lots went able the high estimate.

    The dining room at Belgrave Square.

    The parlour at Belgrave Square.

    A reproduction silver wine cistern capable of holding 70 bottles of champagne modelled on a 1719 original by Paul de Lamerie (£80,000-120,000).  UPDATE: THIS WAS THE TOP LOT OF THE SALE AND MADE £112,500

    Sir Joshua Reynolds – Portrait of Mrs. Richard Pennant 1816 (£20,000-30,000).  UPDATE: THIS SOLD FOR £25,000

    SOME IMPRESSIVE RESULTS FROM TOWNLEY HALL

    Wednesday, October 12th, 2016

    Some impressive results were recorded at the James Adam Country House Collections auction at Townley Hall near Drogheda on October 11, but too many lots failed to find buyers.  A portrait of Captain John Byron, grandfather of the poet, from the studio of Sir Joshua Reynolds made 32,000 at hammer. The top lot of the sale, another portrait, this one attributed to Van Dyke made 68,000.  The subject was Thomas Butler, Earl of Ossory.

    A very rare French flintlock gun – according to the catalogue further research showed that it was made for Louis XVI – made 10,000 at hammer.  A rare German 16th century wheel lock rifle made 12,000.

    A Killarney davenport of exhibition size made 31,000 at hammer, a Killarney tea table made 11,000.  A pair of Irish George III gilt wood mirrors sold for 20,000 and a pair of Great Irish Deer Antlers made 17,000. A silver paten on foot, made c1717 by Joseph Walker with a provenance of Malahide Castle, sold for 2,000,  a View over Dublin Bay by William Sadler II made 11,700, a large Irish mahogany side table with green marble top c1740 made 9,500 as did a set of four Irish Gainsborough armchairs.  The Spartan Boy by Nathaniel Hone the elder sold for 27,000.  A pair of Irish George III tea tables made 18,000, a George III silver table made 4,500,  a walnut chest on chest made 4,600, Figures Skating on a frozen river by Frederik Marinus Kruseman made 21,000 and a Regency rosewood library table made 12,000.

    (See posts on antiquesandartireland.com for October 9 and October 6, 2016)

    Nathaniel Hone the elder - The Spartan Boy sold for 27,000 at hammer

    Nathaniel Hone the elder – The Spartan Boy sold for 27,000 at hammer

    This paten on foot, provenance Malahide Castle, made 2,000

    This paten on foot, provenance Malahide Castle, made 2,000

    This pair of Irish George III gilt wood mirrors made 20,000 at hammer,

    This pair of Irish George III gilt wood mirrors made 20,000 at hammer,

    This Killarney wood davenport made 31,000 at hammer.

    This Killarney wood davenport made 31,000 at hammer.

    ADAMS COUNTRY HOUSE COLLECTIONS AT TOWNLEY HALL

    Sunday, October 9th, 2016
    A three meter long mid-Georgian Chippendale serving table is among a number of highly collectible lots at Adams Country House Collections auction at Townley Hall, Drogheda on October 11.  More than 600 lots will showcase Irish country house interior decoration. Irish Georgian furniture and some early portraits attributed to Robert Hunter, Sir Joshua Reynolds and Sir Anthony Van Dyke will create international interest. There is furniture and art, garden furniture, silver, porcelain, books, glass, carpets, prints and antique maps.  Among other lots of fine furniture are a pair of inlaid and painted satinwood pier tables (30,000-50,000), a mahogany breakfront bookcase (10,000-15,000), an Irish yew secretaire (5,000-8,000), a large brass bound turf bucket (15,000-20,000), several pairs of Irish Georgian games tables and large Williams and Gibton dining tables.

    A portrait by Robert Hunter of Robert King (1724-1755), MP for Boyle who became Baron Kingsborough at the age of 23, is estimated at 20,000-30,000.  A portrait from the studio of Sir Joshua Reynolds of John Byron, grandfather of the poet, is estimated at 35,000-45,000 and one of Thomas Butler, Earl of Ossory attributed to van Dyke is estimated at 10,000-15,000. A view by William Sadler of Dublin Bay from the South is estimated at 8,000-10,000 and a painting of the Meath Hunt by Thomas Walker Bretland is estimated at 30,000-40,000.  A c1767I Dublin silver freedom box by Bartholomew Stokes presented to Theophilus Jones is estimated at 10,000-15,000.  The catalogue is online. Here is a small selection:

    A portrait of Thomas Butler, Earl of Ossory attributed to Sir Anthony van Dyke (10,000-15,000)

    A portrait of Thomas Butler, Earl of Ossory attributed to Sir Anthony van Dyke (10,000-15,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 68,000 AT HAMMER

    An exceptionally long George III Chippendale serving table (15,000-20,000)

    An exceptionally long George III Chippendale serving table (15,000-20,000)  UPDATE:THIS MADE 15,000 AT HAMMER

    A portrait of Capt. John Byron, grandfather to the poet, from the studio of Sir Joshua Reynolds (35,000-45,000)

    A portrait of Capt. John Byron, grandfather to the poet, from the studio of Sir Joshua Reynolds (35,000-45,000)  UPDATE: THIS MADE 32,000 AT HAMMER

    Two Cork Glass Company decanters with moulded target stoppers with another decanter (2,000-3,000)

    Two Cork Glass Company decanters with moulded target stoppers with another decanter (2,000-3,000) UPDATE: THIS LOT MADE 1,700 AT HAMMER

    A LANDMARK SALE OF BRITISH ART TO MARK CHRISTIE’S 250TH ANNIVERSARY

    Thursday, April 28th, 2016

    A landmark sale of major paintings and sculpture will mark Christie’s 250th anniversary in London on June 30. The focus will be on great works of British art.  Highlights will include an intimate family portrait by Lucian Freud painted in 1992.  At auction for the first time in 100 years is a pivotal example of British Aestheticism from 1864 by Frederic, Lord Leighton.  And there is an exquisite 1778 portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds which has never been on the market before.

    Building on the success of Christie’s pioneering series of curated evening sales including Looking Forward to the Past and The Artist’s Muse in 2015, the global auction house will celebrate four centuries of British artists with an evening sale on June 30 entitled  Defining British Art.    A loan exhibition with the same title will run from June 17 to July 15.  Highlights will be on view at Christie’s New York from May 6-12 and at Christie’s Hong Kong from May 26-30.

    Ever since James Christie first opened his doors for business in 1766, in St James’s London, where the headquarters remain today, Christie’s has championed British art and artists. Both Reynolds and Gainsborough were among the regular visitors to these salerooms.   Orlando Rock, Chairman, Christie’s UK said:  “A celebration of Britain’s artistic achievements, the Defining British Art Loan Exhibition and Evening Sale will break new ground for Christie’s, charting the evolution of British art over the last 400 years. A fitting launch to Christie’s 250th Anniversary celebrations in London and inspired by James Christie’s own innovative spirit, the sale and exhibition will create dynamic juxtapositions and, we hope, inspire artists and collectors of the future. Open to all, I would like to encourage not only those who are already friends of Christie’s but also those we have yet to welcome, to share in these celebrations and become part of our next chapter, looking ahead to the next 250 years and beyond.”

    LUCIAN FREUD (1922–2011) Ib and her husband (estimate c£18 million). Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2018.

    LUCIAN FREUD (1922–2011)
    Ib and her husband (estimate c£18 million). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2018.

    Frederic, Lord Leighton, P.R.A. (1830-1896) Golden Hours (£3-5 million).  Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016

    Frederic, Lord Leighton, P.R.A. (1830-1896)
    Golden Hours (£3-5 million). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016

    Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A. (1723-1792) Portrait of Lucy Long, Mrs George Hardinge (£2-3 million).  Courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2016

    Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A. (1723-1792)
    Portrait of Lucy Long, Mrs George Hardinge (£2-3 million). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2016