Sir John Lavery, R.A., R.S.A., R.H.A.

A birthday gift from the artist to Patricia, Viscountess Hambledon, and thence by descent to the present owner

The colours are richer and the detail is sharper and the surface more textured and impastoed than the illustration suggests. The canvas board is sound and is in good original condition with some strong passages of impasto throughout, notably to the figures. Under ultraviolet light, there appear to be no signs of retouching. Held in its original plaster gilt frame under glass; unexamined out of frame.
"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."

In the summer of 1920, Lavery went to Wilton, near Salisbury, the home of the Herbert family, to paint the famous Double Cube Room designed by Inigo Jones. The resulting 'portrait interior', known as The Van Dyck Room, Wilton, was to become his Royal Academy Diploma painting. His brief stay also provided the opportunity to paint small views of the celebrated Palladian bridge spanning the river Nadder, and constructed close to the house by the ninth Earl of Pembroke in 1737. Apart from the present canvasboard, two others of the same size, without figures, are known. The Palladian Bridge, Wilton House (fig. 1, sold in these rooms, 13 May 2005, lot 51), shows a stretch of the river, with the bridge at some distance. It can be compared with the more conventional composition executed on the opposite bank with much less ease by Winston Churchill, who had recently taken up painting under Lavery's tutelage. According to the Herbert family, master and pupil worked in friendly competition on the motif (fig. 2, National Trust, Chartwell).

However the present picture is the most interesting of the Palladian Bridge sequence to come to light. It includes members of the Herbert family enjoying the bright summer's day in their private park. They have been identified as Patricia Herbert, daughter of the 15^th Earl, later Viscountess Hambleden, dressed in salmon pink, leaning against the balustrade, and Beatrix, Countess of Pembroke, seated on the bench. The boy who sits beside the countess is thought to be either of Patricia's younger brothers, Anthony Edward George Herbert or most likely, David Alexander Reginald Herbert. The family lurcher lying on the grass at the countess's feet completes the group.

As Lloyd George held forth at the Peace Conference and British trade struggled to revive after four years of war, Lavery, with splendid economy, reveals the relaxed ambiance of the English country house on a summer day. Its quiet grandeur anticipates the glorious garden parties he portrayed with greater frequency on long weekends during the twenties. But the mood here is modest rather than festive – in accord with a restrained palette that comes brilliantly to life in the touches of pink given by the women's dresses.   

Kenneth McConkey