Thomas Gainsborough, R.A.

Possibly Joseph Hogarth's sale, London, Christie's, 3 April 1835, lot 125 (together with a self-portrait);
E. Cobb, Highbury Terrace, London, by 1897;
by descent to Mrs H.P.C. Cobb, Wealdstone House, Harrow Weald, Middlesex, by 1924;
by descent to Mrs E.M. Gould, her sale, London, Sotheby's, 9 November 1995, lot 25

H. Belsey, 'A Second Supplement to John Hayes's The Drawings of Thomas Gainsborough', Master Drawings, vol. xlvi, no. 4, 2008, p. 460, no. 994

Sold in a carved and gilided (19th Century?) wooden frame. Laid down. The sheet is less yellow than appears in the catalogue illustration. The condition is not good, as can be seen from the illustration. The surface is rubbed in places, especially in the central part of the sheet. The pastel appears to have separated in some way, causing cracks and losses to the pigment, particularly in the face. There are two small points of damage at the centre right and centre left. Also a small area of damage underneath the right eye.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

On 15 July 1746 Margaret Burr married Thomas Gainsborough at St George's Church, London. Margaret was the illegitimate daughter of Henry, 3rd Duke of Beaufort and as such received an annuity of £200 per annum.

Gainsborough was fond of his wife and humbly recalled that 'I shall never be a quarter good enough for her if I mend a hundred degrees.¹  During their 42 year marriage they had three daughters; Margaret, who died in infancy in 1747, Mary (1748/9-1826) and Margaret (1751-1820).

Thomas Gainsborough painted his wife on five other occasions between 1751 and 1788.²  The present work has been dated to the early 1770s and relates to two other similar portraits in oil dated to 1785 at Gainsborough's House and Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich.  We are grateful for the help of Hugh Belsey in cataloguing this lot.

1. John Hayes, The Letters of Thomas Gainsborough, 2001, p. 23
2. see Hugh Belsey, Gainsborough's Family, 1988, cat. nos. 11, 14-17