LOWELL LI BSON LTD 2 0 12 • LOWELL LIBSON LIMITED BRITISH ART 3 Clifford Street · London w1s 2lf +44 (0)20 7734 8686 · [email protected] www.lowell-libson.com LL 2012 text for Alta.indd 1 01/12/2011 13:05 LOWELL LIBSON LTD 2012 LL 2012 text for Alta.indd 2 01/12/2011 13:05 LL 2012 text for Alta.indd 3 01/12/2011 13:05 INDEX OF ARTISTS LOWELL LIBSON LTD Richard Parkes Bonington 96–101 Robert Carpenter 64 3 Clifford Street · London w1s 2lf John Constable 86–95 Telephone: +44 (0)20 7734 8686 Fax: +44 (0)20 7734 9997 David Cox 112–117 Email: [email protected] Richard Earlom 58 Website: www.lowell-libson.com Henry Edridge 73 The gallery is open by appointment, Monday to Friday James Jefferys 56 The entrance is in Old Burlington Street Thomas Gainsborough 18–31 Daniel Gardner 42 In 2012 our exhibition schedule is: Hubert Gravelot 12 Master Drawings New York Valentine Green 60 January 21–28 William Holman Hunt 118 George Lambert 16 TEFAF Maastricht Thomas Lawrence 76–79 March 16–25 John Linnell 102 Master Drawings London Thomas Malton 70 June 27 – July 5 Master of the Giants 56 John Hamilton Mortimer 54 Matthew William Peters 50 George Romney 32–41 Michael Angelo Rooker 68 George Stubbs 52 Peltro William Tomkins 44 Francis Towne 62 William Turner of Oxford 104–111 George Augustus Wallis 80 Cover: a sheet of 18th-century Italian paste paper (collection: Lowell Libson) Richard Westall 48, 84 John Michael Wright 8 Frontispiece: detail from Sir John Morshead George Romney (see pages 38–41) Joseph Wright of Derby 58–61 LL 2012 text for Alta.indd 4 01/12/2011 13:05 LL 2012 text for Alta.indd 5 01/12/2011 13:05 We are delighted to be able to publish some of the acquisitions – paintings, drawings, watercolours, prints and sculpture – which we have made over the last year. These include a number of splendid portraits, the earliest in date being John Michael Wright’s intelligent and sensitive portrait of an, as yet, unidentified lady. This hugely underrated painter certainly deserves tobemore highly regarded. Classic portraits of the eighteenth century include Romney’s grand Elizabeth Bentick as well as his pair of portraits of Sir John and Lady Morshead recently reunited (for the second time). Henry Edridge’s miniature of his friend and fellow student Thomas Girtin marks a significant moment in the history of British art as well as a poignant memorial to a creative life cut far too short. More informal portraits include the charming Daniel Gardner, the delight- fully quirky portrait of Princess Charlotte by the little-known Tomkins and two drawings by Lawrence including his masterly portrait of John Millington. Portraiture and landscape painting meet in Gainsborough and his inspired transcription of the engraving after Van Dyck’s portrait of Jan van Wouver is a powerful and very personal reminder of his admiration of the Flemish master. Gainsborough’s entrancing landscape watercolour is not only a great rarity but a work of resonant beauty. We have been delighted to sponsor the recent ground- breaking exhibition of Gainsborough’s landscapes at the Holburne Museum in Bath. Amongst the landscapes, especial note should be made of the perfectly preserved and rather rare pastel by George Lambert and the two extraordinary pencil drawings by George Augustus Wallis, a hugely fascinating and influential artist now largely overlooked, whose work was celebrated throughout Europe during his lifetime. A small group of prints include superb impressions of mezzotints after two of Wright of Derby’s most famous images as well as rare examples of Gainsborough’s and Stubbs’s activities as printmakers. Last year’s rather extraordinary wax tableau by Samuel Percy caused much admiration as well as entertainment and I hope that the remarkable limewood carving by Robert Carpenter engenders equal interest in the coming months. Once again my sincerest thanks go to many friends who have generously helped in various ways including contributing catalogue entries and the giving of grate- fully received advice. Chief amongst them is Deborah Greenhalgh without whom this catalogue would not be possible. Lowell Libson [6][ 6 ] [7] LL 2012 text for Alta.indd 6 01/12/2011 13:05 LL 2012 text for Alta.indd 7 01/12/2011 13:05 JOHN MICHAEL WRIGHT 1617–1694 A portrait of a lady wearing a white dress Oil on canvas John Michael Wright must be regarded as described by John Dick: In the main body 29⅜ x 24¼ inches · 745 x 617 mm one of the most sensitive, innovative and of his work dating from the 1660s and 1670s Painted in the mid 1660s accomplished British portrait painters of the and in common with contemporary paint- seventeenth century although his reputation ers, Wright’s practice was to use coloured has generally been eclipsed by those enjoyed grounds. They range from a grey-pink to a by the more widely known Dutch born dark red-brown. This ground was usually Lely and the native born Dobson. Wright’s covered by paint and normally only shows in portraiture demonstrates the most individu- areas of damage. The ground was laid over a al of the artistic personalities at work at the closely woven, normal weave canvas with a period: his characterisations are stronger and regular, fairly pronounced grain. … The sizes more intuitive than those of Sir Peter Lely of Wright’s canvases often do not conform which are notable for a demonstration of a to accepted standard sizes, although there suave glamour, whilst Wright’s handling of is evidence that he quite often used a width paint has a lustrous, silvery freshness entirely of about 54 inches. Many have additional distinctive to him. In particular, Wright’s strips of canvas attached, which may be portraits of women were distinguished evidence of a dislike or inability to decide on from those of his contemporaries by his his composition at the outset. … Wright can depiction of individual character, as opposed be recognised most clearly as an individual by to a portrayal of the stereotypical form of his use of colour. He very seldom used pure feminine beauty in favour at the time. pigment or saturated colour but preferred to use Wright’s technique is perhaps best subtle tints produced by the admixture of white John Michael Wright John Michael Wright Magdalen Aston, Lady Burdett, 1669 Susanna Hamilton, Countess of Cassillis, 1662 Oil on canvas · 29 x 24 inches · 737 x 610 mm Oil on canvas · 28½ x 24 inches · 724 x 610 mm Nottingham City Museums and Galleries Scottish National Portrait Gallery [8] LL 2012 text for Alta.indd 8 06/12/2011 13:05 LL 2012 text for Alta.indd 9 02/12/2011 15:45 within a fairly narrow range ( John Michael John Michael Wright institution concerned with promoting King’s bedchamber in Whitehall Palace signed in this way was a group portrait of Wright – The King’s Painter, edited by Sara Sir Neil O’Neill, 1680 religion by means of the arts. Annual exhibi- (Nottingham Castle Museum). He was also the same year of Sir Robert Vyner, a leading Oil on canvas Stevenson and Duncan Thomson, exhibi- 91⅝ x 64¼ inches · 2327 x 1632 mm tions were held in the Pantheon, where granted royal permission to dispose of his goldsmith, and his family (National Portrait tion catalogue, Scottish National Portrait © Tate, London 2011 Wright was able to appraise his own talent collection of old master paintings by lottery, Gallery, London). Towards the end of his Gallery, 1982, pp.47–8). Wright’s particularly against the finest artists working in Rome. leading to two public events in 1662 at career Wright’s final royal appointment individual use of unconventional canvas During his tenure in Rome, Wright which no fewer than fourteen pictures were granted under the ardent Catholic, James II, formats is borne out in the present work acquired a large collection of paintings, acquired by the King. was as Steward to the Earl of Castlemaine, which has been made up with additional drawings, prints and books, perhaps acting The plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of ambassador in Rome to Pope Innocent XI. strips of canvas at the top and bottom as a dealer as much as a collector. It is likely London in 1666 reduced Wright’s business His specific role was to design and oversee (principal canvas 25¼ x 24¼ inches; top that these endeavours, in addition to his considerably. However, one unexpected the production of a number of elaborately addition 2½ inches deep; bottom addition interest in antiquities and mastery of Latin, benefit was winning the commission from carved coaches, decorations and costumes 1½ inches deep). These additions appear to Italian and French, brought him to the the aldermen of the City of London to paint for the vast entourage presented to the be contemporary although it is difficult to attention of Archduke Leopold William twenty-two full-length portraits of the ‘fire Pope in January 1687. Wright was also in confirm with absolute certainty that they of Austria, then governor of the Spanish judges’ who were responsible to resolv- charge of the great banquet for more than are autograph, however, the frequency with Netherlands, who commissioned Wright ing the numerous disputes over property one thousand guests at the Palazzo Doria which this is met tends to indicate that this to travel to England to purchase paintings, boundaries in the aftermath of the fire. Pamphilij. He published an illustrated was a practice individual to Wright’s studio.