“A Man of Sense”: Thomas Gibson's Portrait of Antonio Niccolini

Notes & QUERIES Miles Barton, ‘“A Man of Sense”: Thomas Gibson’s portrait of Antonio Niccolini (1701– 1769)’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. XXI, 2013, pp. 199–202 John Harris, ‘An Ashley Park Discovery’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. XXI, 2013, pp. 203 Will Hawkes, ‘Walpole Right or Wrong? More on No. 18 Arlington Street’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. XXI, 2013, pp. 204–211 Sue Berry, ‘The Castle Inn Assembly Room, Brighton and John Crunden’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. XXI, 2013, pp. 212–216 Barry Kennerk, ‘A House in the Barley Fields: Nos. 14 and 15 Upper Temple Street Dublin before the Act of Union’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. XXI, 2013, pp. 217–222 Andrew Byrne, ‘The Georgian Mews’, The Georgian Group Journal, Vol. XXI, 2013, pp. 223–225 TEXT © THE AUTHORS 2013 ‘A MAN OF SENSE’: THOMAS GIBSON’S PORTRAIT OF ANTONIO NICCOLINI ( – ) MILES BARTON ften born out of the desire by the family to Oemphasise political connections or filial relationships, portraits have always played an important role in the English country house. For hundreds of years the aristocratic landed families of England wanted images of themselves, and their powerful or famous friends, rendered for posterity, underlining and giving credence to their status and dynastic influence. Due to this, large collections have been amassed, resulting in spectacular displays that see them hang high and long around the walls of corridors, stairways and halls. Such accumulations can be a burden to later generations, where recognition and identity can represent a problem: a fact that did not go unobserved by Horace Walpole who noted of one family, careless in their record keeping, that ‘they are only sure that they have so many pounds of ancestors in the lump’. At what point in time this unfortunate obscurity fell upon the portrait presented here (Fig. ) is a matter of conjecture, but we know for certain that at least a century had passed – and probably more – during which time the identity of the dashing young nobleman was unknown. The clues found in the Fig. Thomas Gibson, ‘Antonio Niccolini’, signed and painting itself, crucially the armorial decorated plinth dated ‘T. Gibson fecit ’, oil on canvas, by inches. on which he leans, have enabled not only the identity (Private Collection ) of the individual to once more emerge from the past, revealing the figure of Italian nobleman Antonio power brokers for the Medicis and highly influential Niccolini ( – ), but finally the curious tale of at court. The youngest child of Filippo, third the portrait’s history. Marquess of Ponsacco and Camugliano, Niccolini Niccolini was a member of an immensely was a man of broad cultural interests, who combined powerful Florentine family, descended from the a passion for literature, philosophy and the physical Sirigatti landowners of Tuscany, who were valuable sciences with a growing curiosity towards countries THE GEORGIAN GROUP JOURNAL VOLUME XXI ‘A MAN OF SENSE ’: THOMAS GIBSON ’ S PORTRAIT OF ANTONIO NICCOLINI at the forefront of intellectual debate in these fields, man ‘universally belovd for his affability & good particularly England. In turn he was a lawyer, a nature’ and praised him for his ‘correct & firm clergyman and an intellectual free thinker who kept manner of drawing’. Gibson’s work closely vast correspondence with similar enlightened minds resembles, and is often confused with, that of fellow of the eighteenth century. Inevitably this brought portraitist Jonathan Richardson ( c. – ), who him into conflict with certain members of the ruling could have almost have had this portrait in mind élite who, despite his background, had him expelled when he wrote at the time that ‘ A Portrait Painter from Tuscany in . must understand Mankind, and enter into their Count Cosmas Migliorucci, (d. ), was from characters, and express their Minds as well as their another influential Florentine family and was a faces: And as his Business is chiefly with People of member, along with Niccolini, of the Order of Condition, he must Think as a Gentleman, and a St Stephen. An Anglophile and later a naturalised Man of Sense, or twill be impossible to give Such Englishman, he was a wealthy and successful their True and Proper Resemblances’. merchant who married into the staunchly Catholic Finished in , the year of Richardson’s theory, Nevill family of Nevill Holt Hall, Leicestershire. this painting is one of Gibson’s most colourful and Niccolini no doubt stayed with the Count and ornate male portraits, representing an invaluable Countess at their house in Queen Square on study in style and fashion of the period. From the excursions to London, when this portrait would have sumptuous blue velvet court coat with heavily been painted; that these urbane Italian noblemen embroidered stiffened cuffs and fabulously decorated were undoubtedly firm friends would explain why waistcoat, to the elegant buckled shoes and silver the painting came to be in the collection at Nevill trimmed hat, grandeur and luxury are clearly evident, Holt Hall, where it was to remain for almost two but in a distinctly English understated manner. The hundred years. Count Migliorucci died suddenly in opulent surroundings and accoutrement that might , but his more than able wife Mary continued his accompany Continental portraits of the same period lucrative silver bullion business, keeping in touch do not figure here; rather, Gibson has contrasted the with her husband’s friends and colleagues, figure of Niccolini with a classical architectural particularly influential ones in close contact with the background of cool stonework. Here we can detect a Pope’s family. Niccolini’s portrait therefore would change of mind in the artist to his composition, as be understood by Catholic visitors, and, even though pentimenti of a fountain exist to the right and of the a widow, her importance, and that of the Nevill family armorial on the plinth to the left. A taste of family, would be maintained and possibly enhanced Italy is indicated in the view beyond the elegant by the association. nobleman, with military trophies adorning the high The artist Thomas Gibson ( – ) worked balustrade and a backdrop of swaying Cypress trees in London as a portrait painter and attracted set against a blue Tuscan sky. The much-admired prestigious sitters such as the archbishops William antique military trophies of Octavianus Augustus Wake and John Potter as well as Sir Robert Walpole. on the Campidoglio in Rome were probably the His patrons included John, first Earl Poulett, and inspiration, and perhaps allude to Niccolini’s ancestor Augusta, Princess of Wales. Gibson’s practice earned Arrigo who, according to legend, earned the family him the appointment in as a founding director of name ‘Sirigatti’ after his courage in the Battle of Godfrey Kneller’s St Martin’s Lane Academy, the Beneveto in . They could also reflect the earlier forerunner of the Royal Academy schools. Engraver martial character of the Order of St Stephen, the red- and antiquary George Vertue spoke of Gibson as a ribboned cross of which Niccolini nobly wears. THE GEORGIAN GROUP JOURNAL VOLUME XXI ‘A MAN OF SENSE ’: THOMAS GIBSON ’ S PORTRAIT OF ANTONIO NICCOLINI The portrait was presumably commissioned by NOTES Count Cosmas Migliorucci direct from the artist, and Gervase Jackson-Stops (ed.), The Treasure Houses remained at Nevill Holt Hall until inherited by of Britain (exh. cat., National Gallery of Art, Washington DC, New Haven and London, ), Lavinia, daughter of Charles Nevill, (d. ), who p. married Reverend John Dawson Peake. It appears The greatest source of information concerning that by this time the identity of the sitter had become Niccolini and his family is held by the Niccolin completely unknown, and after the death of the Peake da Camugliano family archive in Florence sons the painting was purchased by Mr Butteriss, a (www.archivistorici.com). Other good references can be found in Antonio Zobi, Storia civile della friend of the family and offered to the National Toscana dal MDCCXXXVII al MDCCCXLVIII , Portrait Gallery in . It was later sold at auction (Florence, ) and Marcello Verga, Da ‘cittadini’ in London in , where it was bought by Mr a ‘nobili’, lotta politica e riforma delle istituzioni Blakeland. Obscurity followed, until the portrait nella Toscana di Francesco Stefano (Milan, ). surfaced once more in when it was in the The Order of St Stephen was a Tuscan military possession of Allan Carr ( – ), American film order founded, with Papal approval, by Cosimo I de’ Medici, first Grand Duke of Tuscany, in . and stage producer; after his death, an American Though initially martial in character, by the early auctioneer made further enquiries to the National eighteenth century young noblemen joined more to Portrait Gallery concerning the painting’s history. learn the knightly virtues of a chivalric order than to In it appeared at auction in England where engage in warfare. Its membership consisted of many the yellowed varnish and dirt resulted in even the sons of the most powerful and élite families in Italy. Bernard Elliot , ‘An Eighteenth Century signature of the artist being overlooked and it was Leicestershire Business Woman: The Countess purchased by the London art trade. Some time Mary Migliorucci of Nevill Holt Hall’, Leicestershire later the portrait was cleaned and, based on the Archaeological & Historical Society Transactions armorial and date of the painting, the identity of the ( ), pp. – . Count Cosmas Migliorucci, later sitter finally re-discovered. However, despite this, taking the names Peter Joseph when he became a still only the sketchiest details of twentieth-century naturalised Englishman in , married Mary Nevill in . He was one of the most important ownership were often repeated and passed on. This London dealers in the importing of silver bullion fuller account of the picture’s past has finally led to from Spain which was vital for the English economy re-discovering the earlier history which had for so and particularly trade in East India.

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