Arthur Devis

By descent in the Streatfield family to Henry D. D. Streatfield, Chiddingstone Manor, Kent;
By whom sold, London, Christie's, 19 November 1965, lot 44B, (identified as the younger brother of Henry Streatfield), to Oscar and Peter Johnson;
Acquired from the above by the father of the present owner.

E. G. d'Oench, Arthur Devis (1712-1797): Master of the Georgian Conversation Piece, unpublished Phd dissertation, Yale University, 1979, vol. II,  p. 413, no. 147.

STRUCTURE The canvas has been firmly lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in fairly good condition, with no apparent extant damage or loss of paint. The paint is quite flat, and has been quite abraded in the background, which is a little thin as a result. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals extensive infilling to craquelure overall, as well as strengthening in the sky. There is also some retouching to the sitter's stockings, and in his waistcoat, as well as scattered minor retouches overall. These retouches, though extensive, are not structural, and are individually minor in general. FRAME Held in a gilded rococo style frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@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 is shown standing on an imaginary spit of land with a view of Table Mountain and Table Bay beyond. This is unique in Devis's work and clearly must allude to Streatfield's mercantile activities, or to a journey he made to the Cape Province¹. During the eighteenth century The East India Company established a small settlement in the Cape Colony where Company vessels stopped to take on water and supplies en-route to the Indies. It seems likely that Streatfield may have been a member of the Company, and it may also be no coincidence that the view of Table Bay in the background of the portrait is almost certainly derived from George Lambert's painting of The Cape of Good Hope, commissioned by the East India Company in 1731-2. That painting is now in the collection of The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, and Devis may well have either seen the painting itself, which in the 1740s hung in the Directors Court Room in East India House, Leadenhall Street, or seen copies in one or both of John Bowles's engravings on the painting published in 1734 and 1736.

The sitter is shown holding a rare wooden reverse telescope of unusual length. These instruments were sometimes used by the navy to obtain sufficient magnification over long distances. The reversal of the taper meant that they could still be supported by hand. In some occasions, as in this picture, such telescopes could measure as much as 4ft.

1. An examination of the naval records at Greenwich do not show him to have been a naval officer.