- 165
Allan Ramsay
Estimate
30,000 - 40,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Allan Ramsay
- Portrait of Miss Finch, three-quarter length, seated, holding a garland of flowers
- signed and dated, lower right: A Ramsay / 1744
- oil on canvas
Provenance
By descent from the sitter through William Finch Ingle's son, Henry, to Mrs Macmillan;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 27 September 1946, lot 160, to Spink;
With Spink & Son, London;
With Gordon & Gordon, Edinburgh, by 1967;
With Thos. Agnew’s & Sons Ltd., London, by 1980;
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 15 July 1987, lot 60 to Rau for £20,000 (as Lady Anne Finch);
Bequeathed by Dr. Rau to the Foundation of the German Committee for UNICEF.
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 27 September 1946, lot 160, to Spink;
With Spink & Son, London;
With Gordon & Gordon, Edinburgh, by 1967;
With Thos. Agnew’s & Sons Ltd., London, by 1980;
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 15 July 1987, lot 60 to Rau for £20,000 (as Lady Anne Finch);
Bequeathed by Dr. Rau to the Foundation of the German Committee for UNICEF.
Exhibited
London, Agnew's, The Portrait Surveyed, 1980, no. 26.
Literature
A. Smart, Allan Ramsay, Painter, Essayist and man of the Enlightenment, New Haven and London 1992, p. 57, reproduced fig. 46 (as Lady Anne Finch);
A. Smart, Allan Ramsay, A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings, New Haven and London 1999, p.106, no.166, reproduced p. 259, fig. 169.
A. Smart, Allan Ramsay, A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings, New Haven and London 1999, p.106, no.166, reproduced p. 259, fig. 169.
Condition
The painting appears to be in good condition with no apparent extant damage or loss of paint. It has had a firm relining but the surface is not abraded and the catalogue illustration is representative. Examination under ultraviolet light does not reveal any significant damages. There is minor infilling to craquelure and small flecks of retouching in the flesh tones. There are also some minor flecks of retouching scattered throughout the dress and some old retouching in areas of the sky, particularly upper right, which come up faintly under UV light. The picture is held in a carved and gilded wooden frame.
To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482.
"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
Previously identified as Lady Anne Finch (d. 1741), daughter of the 2nd Duke of Queensberry, the sitter of this portrait is now thought to be either Mary or Elizabeth Finch, one of the daughters of William Finch (1667-1731/2), and sisters of William Finch Jnr (d.1762) of Little Shelford, near Cambridge. Mary died unmarried in 1765, whilst Elizabeth married William Ingle, a linen draper, in 1716, by whom she had a son, William Finch Ingle, who inherited Little Shelford from his uncle.This portrait descended from him.