Thomas Luny

An old glue relining is firm and stable. under a slightly dirty, discolored varnish. the paint surface has been pressed in the aforementioned relining and is generally thinned throughout. The thinness is most noticeable in the water and sails, and in the rigging which has lost some of its crisp definition. despite this, the painting still reads reasonably well overall. there are scattered, discolored retouches that are visible to naked eye throughout sky. examination under UV light shows these retouches in sky which include a repaired compound tear at upper left side and other repaired tears in sky at center left above flag. other smaller retouches on sails, and some on ships and in water, but less so. this painting has not been attended to in a long time. with skillful restoration and re-addressing of the old discolored retouches, the appearance of this painting could be improved. In a carved and gilt wood frame.
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.

The Lord North was an East Indiaman, built by the Wells family of shipbuilders in one of their yards at Rotherhithe adjacent to the Greenland Dock and launched on 5 November 1770.¹  The logs of five of her voyages survive in the collection of the British Library.²  In April of 1781, she was one of six Indiamen (carrying troops to the Cape of Good Hope before proceeding on to the East) that were involved in the Battle of Porto Praya.³  Three drawings by Luny of the Lord North, one of them dated May 26 1779, are in the collection of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.⁴

We are grateful to Pieter van der Merwe of the NMM, Greenwich for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.

1.  777 tons, of three decks and principal dimensions: Length 138 ft 9 ¾ in x Beam 36 ft 3 in x Depth in hold 14 ft 5 ½ in.
2.  (1). To Madras and Bengal, Nov 1770-Oct 1772; (2). To Bencoolen (now Bengkulu, on the SE coast of Sumatra) and China, Oct 1774-July 1776; (3). To Bencoolen, Madras and China, July 1777-Sept 1779; (4). To Bencoolen and China, Sept 1780-Mar 1783; (5). To China, Feb 1786-Sept 1787.
3.  A naval battle on 16 April 1781 between British and French squadrons. Both en route to the Cape of Good Hope, the British hoping to take it from the Dutch and the French aiming to help defend it and protect their interests in the Indian Ocean.
4.  Object nos. PAE9645-9647.