- 201
John Frederick Lewis, R.A.
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
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Description
- John Frederick Lewis, R.A.
- Portrait of a prosperous merchant of Terapia
- Watercolour over pencil, heightened with bodycolour and black chalk;
signed and inscribed lower right: J.F. Lewis / Terapia - 405 by 264 mm
Provenance
With Agnew's, London;
by whom sold to the parents of the present owners
by whom sold to the parents of the present owners
Condition
This work has been carefully presented in an acid-free mount and is behind museum quality glass. The sheet has stained somewhat, however the balance of the composition has not been disrupted. Around the extreme edges of the sheet there are several stain-lines; which are associated with previous mounts. The sheet has been laid down.
For further information on this work, please contact Mark Griffith-Jones on 0207 293 5083 or mark.griffithjones@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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
In this keenly observed drawing, Lewis depicts an elaborately dressed merchant of Tarabya, whose facial expression perhaps reveal his slight unease at sitting for his portrait. Tarabya is situated on the west shore of the Bosphorus, just to the north of Istanbul. During the 19th and early 20th Centuries many nations - including the British, French and Italians - held their embassies there during the summer months.
Lewis arrived in Istanbul in October 1840 and he was to remain there for just over a year. Soon after his arrival he met his fellow artist Sir David Wilkie R.A. (1784-1841), who noted admiringly ‘We have encountered John Lewis…who has been making most clever drawings, as usual'.1
We would like to thank Briony Llewellyn and Charles Newton for their assistance in cataloguing this lot.
1. Major-General M. Lewis, John Frederick Lewis, Leigh-on-Sea 1978, p. 21
Lewis arrived in Istanbul in October 1840 and he was to remain there for just over a year. Soon after his arrival he met his fellow artist Sir David Wilkie R.A. (1784-1841), who noted admiringly ‘We have encountered John Lewis…who has been making most clever drawings, as usual'.1
We would like to thank Briony Llewellyn and Charles Newton for their assistance in cataloguing this lot.
1. Major-General M. Lewis, John Frederick Lewis, Leigh-on-Sea 1978, p. 21