Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Day Auction
Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Day Auction
The Property of a descendant of the sitter
John Russell, R.A.
Portrait of Elizabeth Freeman, later Mrs Thomas Freeman-Heathcote (1779–1808) with her pet bullfinch
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
The Property of a descendant of the sitter
John Russell, R.A.
Guildford 1745 - 1806 Hull
Portrait of Elizabeth Freeman, later Mrs Thomas Freeman-Heathcote (1779–1808) with her pet bullfinch
signed centre left: J. Russell / 1790
oval, pastel, original gilt-wood frame
unframed: 75 x 61 cm., 20 x 24 in.
framed: 94 x 83 cm.; 37 x 32½ in.
By descent within the sitter’s family until the present owner.
Lord Redesdale, Memories, London 1889, p. 22;
G. Williamson, John Russell, London 1894, p. 155, when owned by Algernon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, 1st Baron Redesdale (1837–1916);
N. Jeffares, Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, online edition, no. J.64.1762.
The sitter was the only daughter and sole heir of Thomas Edwards Freeman of Batsford Park, Gloucestershire. In 1799 she married Thomas Heathcote (1769–1825), who later adopted the name Freeman into his surname. He was the son of Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Baronet of Hursley, Hampshire and upon his father’s death in 1819, he succeeded to the title.
John Russell was the foremost pastellist of his day. For a full account of this life and work please see: N. Jeffares, Dictionary of pastellists before 1800, online edition.
We are grateful to Neil Jeffares for his help when cataloguing this lot.
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