Thomas Gainsborough, R.A.

Comissioned by the sitter, John, 5th Duke of Argyll;
by descent to the sitter's daughter, Lady Charlotte Campbell;
by descent to her daughter, Mrs. William Russell;
thence by descent to Sir Arthur Russell, at Swallowfield Park, until offered for sale, London, Sotheby's, 23rd November 1977, lot 20 (as by Gainsborough Dupont)

Reading, City Museum and Art Gallery, Portraits in Berkshire, 1964, no. 12

Lady C. Russell, Three Generations of Fascinating Women, London 1904, repr. opp. p. 118;
M. Menpes and J. Greg, Gainsborough, London 1909, p. 169;
E. K. Waterhouse, 'Preliminary Check List of Portraits by Thomas Gainsborough', Walpole Society, Vol. XXXIII, Oxford 1953, p. 3;
To be included in the catalogue raisonné of the portraits of Thomas Gainsborough by Hugh Belsey

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in very good condition, and there are no apparent damages or losses of paint. There is a discoloured and dirty varnish overall. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms the opacity of the varnish, and the surface dirt mentioned above. There is no apparent recent retouching. FRAME Held in a gilded wooden frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This portrait, previously attributed to Dupont, is an autograph version of the portrait in the collection of the Duke of Argyll at Inveraray Castle, which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1779, and was engraved in mezzotint by William Dickinson. It has been suggested that the artist painted the present work whilst the prime version was still in his studio, but that it lacks some of the quality of the former for having not been painted ad vivum.

The sitter, a Field Marshal who was styled Marquess of Lorne from 1761 to 1770, was the son of the 4th Duke of Argyll, and his wife Mary, daughter of John Bellenden, 2nd Lord Bellenden of Broughton. In 1744 he was commissioned into the 21st Royal Scots Fusiliers, and served in response to the Jacobite Rebellion at the Battle of Falkirk and the Battle of Culloden in 1746. In 1749 he was appointed Commanding Officer of the 42nd Regiment of Foot, serving in Ireland, and Field Marshal in 1796, entering Parliament the same year. In 1759 he married Elizabeth, Dowager Duchess of Hamilton, by whom he had five children

We are grateful to Hugh Belsey for confirming the attribution of the present painting.