Jean-Baptiste Isabey

Given by the sitter to Lady Frances Wedderburn Webster (1793-1837);
by decent to her husband Sir James Webster Wedderburn, Bt. (1788-1840);
given to Richard Roy (d. 1873), as a security for a loan;
by descent to his wife, Mary Roy (d. 1895);
by whom given to her brother, Thomas Broadbent Cartwright;
by family descent to the present owner

Engraved:

by André Joseph Mécou, 1817 and J Cochran

C. Wellesley, Marquis of Douro, Wellington Portrayed, London 2014, p. 173, no. 3

The colours in this work have survived very well, and the overall condition is excellent. Above the signature (central left) there is a pin prick hole. To the right of the composition there are two minor areas where the surface has been scratched. Around the extreme edges of the sheet there are one or two very minor losses - these are mainly concealed by the frame's mount. There is a note within the frame which indicates that the work was cleaned by H.A.D Clark in 1946.
"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."

This intimate yet imposing portrait shows the 'Iron Duke' against a stormy sky background wearing a scarlet uniform, decorated with the Order of the Golden Fleece. Dated 1816, the work forms part of a small group of portraits of Wellington by Jean-Baptiste Isabey.

Wellington first sat to this celebrated French artist at the Congress of Vienna in 1814, where he allowed him to sketch his likeness in sepia and wash.¹ As British Ambassador to France (1814-1815) and then Commander-in-chief of the allied occupation (1815-1818), Wellington's and Isabey's paths crossed again in Paris. The artist painted the present portrait in 1816, a second in 1817, and a third and fourth in 1818 and 1821 respectively. Of these portraits, two remain in the collection of His Grace, the Duke of Wellington and one is in the Wallace Collection, London.²

The present work has an interesting and well documented provenance. According to E.H. Clarke's letter of 1895, the original of which accompanies this lot, the Duke gave the portrait to Lady Frances Wedderburn Webster, with whom he had had a liaison at the time of the battle of Waterloo. She was the glamorous daughter of the 1^st Earl of Mountmorris (1744-1816), who, in 1813, had also had a passionate affair with the poet, Lord Bryon. Upon her death in 1839, the work passed to her husband Sir James Webster Wedderburn. In need of funds, Sir James arranged to borrow money from Richard Roy, his family's solicitor, and deposited the portrait as a form of security. This loan was never repaid and upon Richard Roy's death, he gave the work to his own wife, who in turn, bequeathed it, at her death in 1895, to her brother Thomas Broadbent Cartwright. The work has remained in that family until the present time.

1. Wellesley, op. cit., p. 173, no. 2 
2. Ibid.