Federico de Madrazo y Kuntz

Commissioned by George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon (1800-1870), by the second creation;
thence by descent to the present owner

R. Gibson, Catalogue of Portraits in the Collection of the Earl of Clarendon, Wallop 1977, no. 42, p.41

STRUCTURE The canvas is unlined. PAINT SURFACE The painting is in largely good condition. There are two small holes in the canvas in the upper right of the painting, and one small area of bare canvas close by. There are a small number of scattered very minor losses of paint overall and a thick and very dirty, discoloured varnish overall as well. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms the opacity of the varnish and the thickness of the surface dirt, however there does not appear to be any retouching or restoration. FRAME The painting is unframed. 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."

The sitter was eldest son of George Villiers and grandson of  Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon. He wrote to his sister Theresa, whilst an undergraduate at St John's College Cambridge, that "...the learning of languages is the only thing I have any time for" and with the help of his uncle entered the diplomatic service as attache in St Petersburg. He soon came to the attention of Palmerston, the Foreign Secretary, and in 1833 aged only thirty-three, was appointed ambassador in Madrid. For much of the time he had to contend with the First Carlist War, but he worked successfully to establish a liberal government in Spain. He succeeded as 4th Earl in December 1838 and left Spain shortly afterwards with a considerable reputation. He subsequently served as Viceory of Ireland from 1847-1852, and as Foreign Secretary from 1852-1858. Whilst in Madrid he collected a distinguished group of Spanish pictures (see earlier lots in this sale). It was during this time that he was painted by Madrazo, who was to become one of Spain's leading portrait painters. Madrazo was a young artist when he painted Clarendon but his fame had already spread in both Madrid and in Paris where in 1833 he painted Ingres whose work greatly influenced him.