William Marlow

Mrs. Rudolph de Trafford;
with Leger Galleries, 1957 (bt. by the present owner)

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears in very good condition. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals scattered minor retouching overall and infilling to craquelure, as well as some minor strengthening in the sky. FRAME Held in a British Rococo style carved and gilded frame. To talk to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@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."

The present painting is relates to a pen and ink drawing of the same composition in the Victoria and Albert Museum, executed when Marlow was in Lyon, on his way to Italy in 1765-1766. Another version, sold in these rooms on 6^th June 2007 (lot 69) and originally in the Wyndham Collection at Orchard Wyndham, was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1794 (no. 248), as a View of part of the City of Lyons, with the old castle of Pierre Encise. Marlow is said to have toured the continent on the advice of the Duchess of Northumberland, the wife of one of his earliest patrons, and certainly the group of eight paintings at Alnwick, depicting Tivoli, Arriccia and scenes in the Bay of Naples, would suggest she was the principal sponsor for his expedition.

A fortified castle positioned atop a rocky outcrop on the banks of the Rhone, on the outskirts of Lyon, the Chateau de Pierre-Encise was used at various stages throughout its existence as a fortress and a prison. In the sixteenth century Charles Emmanuel, 'Prince of Genovois' (1567-1595), was imprisoned there by the Archbishop of Lyons after quarrelling with his half-brother, the Duke of Mayenne. The son of James, Duke of Nemours (1581-1585), Charles managed to escape, however, and laid siege to the town, only to be defeated by the intervention of the Constable de Montmorency.

The Chateau's most prestigious detainee, however, was the iniquitous eighteenth century rake, the Marquis de Sade, who was imprisoned in the chateau in 1768 by the Paris Council. Having been found guilty of accusations of libertinage, sacrilege and sadism, the Marquise was sentenced to six months incarceration at the castle, before being released to his house at Arcueil. One of Sade's first major scandals, the episode marked the beginning of a career blighted by accusations of sexual deviance and periods of prolonged imprisonment.