The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California have announced their recent acquisition of several British works of art. This includes a British 19th century Portrait of a Young Black Man dating between 1800–1820 (pictured). Described as a 'mysterious portrait' neither the artist or sitter is known and it appears as if the work was left unfinished. Other works include Robert Peake the Elder's An unknown lady, traditionally called as Eleanor Wortley, Lady Lee which is a full-length oil on canvas dating to around 1615. Other works acquired include pieces by Mary Clementina Barrett, Christopher Dresser and Christopher Richard Wynne Nevinson.
One of the top lots of the Sotheby's London Old Master Day Sale in July 2020 was John Taylor's Portrait of an Unknown Servant of the Lawrence family, a rare and intimate portrait which has remained unidentified despite recent research.
