John Smart

with powdered hair en queue, wearing a dark blue velvet coat, waistcoat and a lace jabot

By family descent to Lieutenant John Townsend, RN;
with Mrs John Townsend, by 1889;
R.W.M. Walker, his sale Christie's London, 17 July 1945, part lot 143;
H. Backer until sold, Christie's London, 24 May 2000, lot 191

London, South Kensington Museum, Special Exhibition of Works of Art, 1862, Section 11, no. 2695;
London Burlington Fine Arts Club Exhibition, 1889, case XXXIX, no.15B

This miniature is in very good order. There are very minor water stains at 5 o'clock with some minor loose flecks on surface. For further information on this lot please contact either Mark Griffith-Jones (0207 293 5083) or Emmeline Hallmark (0207 293 5407) mark.griffithjones@sothebys.com emmeline.hallmark@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."

Ford descended from a Bristol family but played an active role in the East Indies, serving as Attorney General of Jamaica in 1760. He was also a member of the Assembly for St John's. By 1764 he had become a member of the Royal Council of Jamaica. His brother was Dr James Ford of Albemarle Street, the Queen's physician, and his niece was the celebrated musician Mrs Philip Thicknesse, neé Anne Ford (1737–1824) who sat to Thomas Gainsborough in 1760 for a full-length oil painting (Huntington Art Gallery, California). We are grateful to Neil Jeffares for his help in cataloguing this lot.