Thomas Beach

Painted for William, 6th Baron Craven, London, Combe Abbey, 1776;
Thence by descent to Cornelia, Countess of Craven, until 1968;
Her deceased sale, London, Sotheby's, 27 November 1968, lot 3;
There purchased by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles (acc. no. A68.P-5);
By whom sold, Los Angeles, Sotheby Parke Bernet Los Angeles, 6 November 1978, lot 11;
There acquired by John and Marian Bowater, California;
Thence by descent to the present owner.

London, Society of Artists, 1776, no. 4 (as "A Lady with a Harp").

Catalogue of the Pictures at Combe Abbey, 1886, p. 11, no. 125;
A.M. Broadley & L. Melville, The Beautiful Lady Craven, London and New York 1914, reproduced facing p. x;
E.S. Beach, Thomas Beach, London 1934, pp. 13, 57, 78, cat. no. 54;
B. Fredericksen, Catalogue of the paintings in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles 1972, p. 99, cat. no. 138, reproduced.

The canvas is relined and stable. The paint surface is in very good condition with a few minor scratches and abrasions to the surface, notably in the harp, in the left side of the cloak and in the architectural scroll. There are minor frame abrasions at the sight edges. Under UV inspection the painting appears to have had little intervention though a full reading is impeded by a milky, opaque varnish.
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.

Elizabeth, youngest daughter of the 4th Earl of Berkeley, was born in 1750 and married William, 6th Baron Craven in 1767.  They  had seven children before separating in 1780.  After Lord Craven's death in 1791, she married Christian Frederick, Margrave of Anspach.  Lady Craven's escapades and numerous liaisons gave her a degree of notoriety both in England and the continent where she lived and travelled after her separation.  Among her friends were Horace Walpole, Dr. Johnson and Boswell who called her "the beautiful, gay and fascinating Lady Craven" (Boswell, Life of Johnson, 3.22).  She was a playwright and travel writer having published, at Walpole's suggestion, A Journey through the Crimea to Constantinople in 1789.  Towards the end of her life she published her Memoirs (1826).  She died in Naples in 1828.

A pendant portrait by Beach depicting William, 6th Baron Craven was also sold in the 1968 auction (see Provenance) as Lot 4.