Gainsborough, Thomas

each acknowledging receipt of ten Guineas from Sir John Sebright for half payment for a three-quarter length portrait, 2 pages, oblong 8vo, 11 March and 5 April 1768, the first receipt docketed by Sebright, the second receipt with part of a pencil sketch portrait of a woman by another hand on the verso

Condition is described in the main body of the catalogue, where appropriate.
"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."

RARE. According to our records, only one autograph item by Gainsborough has been sold at auction since the early 1990s. Clients commonly paid Gainsborough a down-payment to secure the commission and the balance on completion of the work, as was evidently the case here. General Sir John Sebright, 6th Bt (1725-1794), of Beechwood Park in Hertfordshire, was an MP and friend of Edmund Burke. Gainsborough's portrait of him was sold at Sotheby's, New York, on 17 January 1992.