Portrait of Augusta Princess of Wales, mother of George III, Seated, full length, in the grounds of Kew Palace, 1758

 

George Knapton (1698–1778)

Portrait of Augusta Princess of Wales, mother of George III, Seated, full length, in the grounds of Kew Palace, 1758

Signed and dated, middle right: G. Knapton 1758

Oil on canvas

181 x 141 cm

 

Provenance:

Probably commissioned by the sitter as a gift to her brother Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg (1699-1772)

Possibly by descent to the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld who inherited the Gotha dukedom on the direct lines extinction in 1825, and possibly then to Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1816-1885) who became King Fernando II of Portugal on his marriage to Maria II of Portugal

Possibly to Ferdinand’s morganatic 2nd wife, Elise Hensler, Countess of Edla (1836-1929)

Collection of Charles Harbord Lisbon by 1970. Harbord moved to Lisbon from England circa 1930.

Private collection Portugal

 

Exhibited:

Retratos Ingleses em Portugal, April –May 1970, Instituto Britânico Lisbon, No 15

 

This is an historically important painting in regards to the development of Kew Gardens as it is today. Princess Augusta was an integral part of the planning and funding of the change from being the Royal Palace Gardens into a public garden as well as a serious botanic garden to be enjoyed by the many thousands of people over the last few centuries. She is shown here seated in one of the many special alcove seats designed by William Chambers, the Architect responsible for the many designs throughout the gardens.

Kew Gardens, Princess Augusta & William Chambers

 

In 1752 Princess Augusta instructed her head gardener, John Dillman, to "compleat all that part of the Garden at Kew that is not yet finished in the manner proposed by the Plan and to keep all that is now finished". With the very able help of the Earl of Bute, the development of Kew as a serious botanic garden was well under way, driven by Bute's desire to have a garden which would " … contain all the plants known on Earth". Princess Augusta was, in effect, the founder of the botanic gardens at Kew.

Bute recommended William Chambers to Princess Augusta. Chambers was an ambitious young architect who had previously submitted plans for a projected mausoleum for her dead husband, and in 1757 Chambers was appointed tutor in architecture to the future George III, who came to the throne in 1760.

With the arrival of Chambers, a new design phase began, similar in intensity to Frederick's changes in the 1740s.Chambers' first acts in 1757 were to move the House of Confucius; to build the Gallery of Antiques; to remove the Chinese Arch; and to build the Palladian Bridge, reputedly in one night. Most of the follies were not built to last, being made out of flimsy materials, and the overnight building of follies is one of the legendary attributes of Kew Gardens.

In 1758 Chambers built the Alhambra; the Temple of Arethusa and the Temple of Pan. A number of garden alcoves designed by Chambers were also constructed in 1758. These were probably the first seats of this type to appear in the Gardens, and the basic design has been copied several times since. A possible Chambers alcove can be found near to the current Lion Gate, and later examples are located near the Isleworth Ferry Gate and the Brentford Gate.

1759 saw the construction of Johann Heinrich Muntz's Gothic Cathedral, along with Chambers' Temple of Victory.It is generally held that the Physic and Exotic Garden was begun in 1759, when "cultivating the Physic Garden" first appears in household accounts, and this is taken as the date of formal establishment of the Botanic Gardens.

The Ruined Arch, the Temples of Aeolus and Bellona, the Theatre of Augusta and the Chinese Ting in the centre of the Menagerie were all constructed in 1760. Chambers also designed an aviary next to Princess Augusta's Menagerie, an oval enclosure lined with cages for exotic pheasants and bigger birds, with a large pond for goldfish and more delicate waterfowl.

1761 was a similarly productive year, with construction starting on the Pagoda, and the building of the glasshouses of the Orangery and the Great Stove, together with the Temple of the Sun and the Mosque.These decorative buildings at Kew (the survivors are all Listed Buildings) represented all the fervent interest and excitement of knowledge newly gained in a widening world. China and the Islamic world were opening up, as evidenced by Chambers' delight in Chinoiserie. There was a revival of classicism brought about by the Grand Tour taken by 18th century gentry. This passion for the newly-discovered influenced the influential in the design and development of the Gardens at Kew. (1)

1. Taken from Kew History and Heritage at www.kew.org

 

PREVIOUSLY ON AUCTION AT

Cabral Moncada Leilões

Sale 149 Lot 625

€ 6 500

 

ON SALE AT

Theo Johns Fine Art

By Appointment Only

London, Central London, SW1Y

+44 (0) 207 1934549

$ 180 000

Family group portrait of James Dempster Webster Gordon (1783-1850)

CHRISTIE'S
Sale Information
Sale 7448 — Old Master and British Pictures
7 December 2007 - London, King Street

Lot Description
Scottish School, circa 1835
Group portrait of James Dempster Webster Gordon (1783-1850), with his wife Theodosia of Quinta do Monte, Madeira, and their sons, Webster and Russell, with their cousins Ameria and Geraldine Gordon at Balmaghie, Castle Douglas
Oil on canvas
40 x 50 in. (101½ x 127 cm.)

Provenance
James Dempster Webster Gordon (1783-1850)
By descent to his son Russell Manners Gordon, 1st Count of Torre Bela, who married Filomena Gabriela Correia Brandão Henriques de Noronha, 3rd Viscountess of Torre Bela and 1st Countess of Torre Bela (Portuguese peerage)
By descent to his son Diogo Murray Correia Gordon, 4th Viscount of Torre Bela and 2nd Count of Torre Bela (Portuguese peerage)
By descent to his sister Isabel Constança Gordon
By descent to her son Dermot Francis Bolger (1900-1974)
By descent to his daugther Ann Constance Bolger
By descent to her husband Captain David Ogilvy Fairlie of Myres


Lot Notes
James Dempster Webster Gordon (1783-1850) was the youngest son of Thomas Gordon (1737-1804) and his wife Agnes, daughter of John Dempster of Dunnichen, co. Forfar. His eldest brother Thomas William Gordon was a Captain in the Guards and died at Verdun in 1814. His elder brother James Murray Gordon (1782-1850), who was a Rear Admiral in the Royal Navy, succeeded to the family estate of Balmaghie, near Castle Douglas, Kircudbrightshire, which his father had acquired in 1786, and married Sarah Almeria, daughter of John Caulfield, Archdeacon of Kilmore. James Gordon became a merchant and lived on the island of Madeira, where he was a shareholder in the wine and general merchants Newton, Gordon and Cossart & Co., founded in 1745 by Francis Newton and William Gordon, who was presumably a cousin, who had fled Scotland following the failure of the Stuart cause. He married Theodosia Arabella Pollock, daughter of General Pollock of the East India Company service.
This group portrait apparently commemorates a visit that James Gordon and his family made to Balmaghie from Madeira. James Gordon is shown together with his wife, and their two young sons Webster Thomas Gordon and Russell Manners Gordon (1829-1906), and his elder brother's daughters Sarah and Geraldine. Both James Gordon's sons were educated at Eton. His younger son Russell, who lived in Madeira was to marry Filomena Gabriela Correia Brandão Henriques de Noronha, daughter and heir of João Correia Brandão de Bettencourt Henriques de Noronha, 2nd Visconde de Torre Bela in the Portuguese peerage. On her father's death, Russell Gordon's wife suceeded to the family title and he was conferred the title of Conde de Torre Bela. On the basis of the apparent ages of the sitters this picture would seem likely to have been executed in the early-to-mid-1830s.

Estimate
£10,000 - £15,000
($20,230 - $30,345)

Price Realized
£10,000 (Set Currency)
($20,230)

2012 Setembro 18 - Dutra Leilões

8. Salva de prata com borda repuxada e cinzelada, recortada com concheados; centro gravado com friso floral; sobre três pés estilizados; no plano marcas de contraste de prata, de ensaiador de Guimarães não identificado, G-3, que aparece frequentemente sem marcas de ourives, segundo Inventário de Marcas de Pratas Portuguesas e Brasileiras, de Fernando Moitinho de Almeida; 20 cm de diâmetro e 270 g. Portugal, séc. XVIII.

 

15. Princesa Imperial D. Isabel
Par de brincos de ouro emoldurando retrato oval a cores sobre porcelana, da Princesa Isabel nos seus quinze anos, medindo a pintura 10 x 13 mm. Brasil, séc. XIX.

Este par de brincos foi presenteado pela Princesa Isabel, quando dos festejos de seus quinze anos, a Baronesa do Serro Azul, Maria Jose Correia, casada com seu primo-irmão, Barão do Serro Azul, o comerciante e poeta paranaense Ildefonso Pereira Correia (1848 - 1894). Os brincos pertenceram a Doris Bandeler, residente em Poços de Caldas, bisneta da Baronesa.

 

 

24. Salva de apresentação de prata de lei repuxada e cinzelada em todo plano com elementos florais e arabescos; ao centro medalhão com flores e um pelicano; borda ondeada; marcas de contraste da prata, de ensaiador de Lisboa não identificado, datável do fim do séc. XVII - c.1720, L-19 e L-253, segundo Inventário de Marcas de Pratas Portuguesas e Brasileiras, por Fernando Moitinho de Almeida; 40 cm de diâmetro e 730 gr. Portugal, séc. XVII / XVIII.

 

 

28. Custódia e cálice purificatório de prata lisa e repuxada, com sinos de penitência pendurados; parte superior com ostensório cinzelado com insígnias papais com a tríplice coroa e as chaves de São Pedro, alem de medalhão com sua lúnula envidraçado e ladeado por colunatas encimadas por cúpula e cruz; base campânular, sob fuste bojudo, onde se encontra contraste da prata, de ensaiador de Braga não identificado, atribuível a primeira metade do séc. XVIII e marca do ourives de Braga Francisco Coelho Veloso, registrada em 1750, parcialmente legíveis, segundo Inventário de Marcas de Pratas Portuguesas e Brasileiras, por Fernando Moitinho de Almeida, B-2 e B-31; 61 cm de altura e 2.920 kg. Portugal, séc. XVIII.

Consta ter pertencido a Sé de Braga. As insígnias Papais com a tríplice coroa e as chaves de São Pedro são elementos de decoração indicativos de ser uma peça para utilização em Sés ou Basílicas.

 

 

31 Farinheira de prata de lei repuxada e cinzelada, no corpo decoração em relevos de arabescos, elementos fitomórficos e pássaros, da época da ocupação espanhola em Portugal, pelos reis Felipes; sem marcas de identificação aparentes; 17 cm de diâmetro e 160 g. Portugal, séc. XVIII.

Apresenta um fino e delicado cinzelado, tendo, na parte principal, a águia bicéfala coroada com emblema dos Habsburgos que, aquela época, reinavam na Espanha.

 

40 Resplendor circular de prata de lei repuxada e cinzelada; do círculo central saem raios intercalados por reservas com símbolos religiosos católicos; em uma das volutas que guarnece a aba de contornos irregulares a letra F, provavelmente parte de um contraste da cidade do Porto, usada no decorrer do séc. XVIII; 42 cm de diâmetro e 1.185 kg. Portugal, séc. XVIII.

 

46 Crucifixo central de bancada, de prata de lei repuxada e cinzelada; base tripode, terminada em pés de garras, com rica decoração em relevos de cabeças de anjos e Coroa do Reino de Portugal; fuste de segmentos e anelados, sustentando a cruz com ponteiras e adereços seguindo padrões de decoração do estilo e época; na base da cruz marca de contraste da prata de ensaiador de Coimbra não identificado, datável do séc. XVII - princípio do séc. XVIII e na base, junto a um dos pés, marca C-8 de ourives de Coimbra não identificado e conhecida com contraste C-2, datável de fim do séc. XVII - princípio do séc. XVIII, segundo Inventário de Marcas de Pratas Portuguesas e Brasileiras, por Fernando Moitinho de Almeida; 116 cm de altura e 7.470 kg. Portugal, séc. XVII / XVIII. 

 

48 Salva de apresentação de prata de lei repuxada e cinzelada, formato circular com borda de contornos irregulares decorada com carrancas separadas por elementos fitomórficos. Plano decorado com quatro mascarões envoltos por decoração floral e animais fantásticos em relevos; no centro reserva com figura de guerreira empunhando lança e castelo ao fundo; sem marcas de identificação aparentes; 48 cm de diâmetro e 1.510 kg. Portugal, séc. XVII.

Salva idêntica encontra-se na coleção de Maria Isabel de Mello Falcão Tigroso, em Lisboa, reproduzida à página 207 do livro Ourivesaria Portuguesa em Coleções Particulares de Reynaldo dos Santos.

 

51 Grande bule para café de prata de lei lisa repuxada e cinzelada; corpo balaustre, cinzelado com gomados, flores e perolados; pescoço estreito, bico recurvo com delicado e elegante aplicação de perolados e alça de madeira; tampa cônica rematada por pega em botão floral; base circular, almofadada e perolada, onde se encontram marcas de contraste da prata, atribuível a juiz do ofício não identificado, do Porto, para marcar a obra do ensaiador João Coelho Sampaio, usada entre 1768 - c. 1784 e marca de ourives do Porto João Coelho Sampaio, conhecida com contraste P-12, bem como marca de toque P-91, datável de 1768 - c. 1784, conforme Inventário de Marcas e Pratas Portuguesas e Brasileiras, por Fernando Moitinho de Almeida, P-12 e P-221; 50 cm de altura e 2.635 kg. total. Portugal, séc. XVIII.

Esta peça pertenceu à Família Real Portuguesa, que a trouxe para o Brasil em sua mudança. Posteriormente o Imperador D. Pedro I deu-a de presente para a Marquesa de Santos. Em seguida, fez parte do acervo do Conselheiro Barão de Ramalho, em São Paulo.

 

56 Princesa Dona Leopoldina - Duquesa de Saxe
Par de pratos de porcelana alemã, borda ondulada, aba decorada com folhas estilizadas unidas umas as outras em rosa; no centro da caldeira o monograma A entre dois C invertidos e entrelaçados sob coroa Imperial, pertencente a Augusto Saxe Coburgo - Duque de Saxe; no reverso a marca Porzellan Fabrik / Aich bei Carlsbad. 18 cm de diâmetro. Um dos pratos apresenta discreto bicado na borda. Bohemia, séc. XIX. Dona Leopoldina era filha de D. Pedro II, irmã da Princesa Isabel. Casou-se com o Duque de Saxe.

 

 78 D. Pedro II
Par de placas de prata repuxada e cinzelada, apresentando no centro, sobre medalhão ovalado, as iniciais P II, em cobre, ladeado por duas fênix e bandeiras como tenentes, e encimado por coroa real; sem marcas de identificações aparentes. 34 x 23 cm cada; 750g, total. Brasil, séc. XIX. Pertenciam a decoração do Paço Imperial.

 

 

80 Contrato de casamento de D. Pedro II com a Imperatriz D. Teresa Cristina em 1843; 34 x 23,5 cm, por nós traduzido, como segue abaixo: Hoje, 30 de maio de 1843 na Real Capela Palatina, S.A.R. a Princesa Teresa Cristina Maria Germana e sua Majestade o Rei das Duas Sicilias Ferdinando II, filho de S. M. o Rei Francisco I de gloriosa recordação e de S. M. a Rainha Maria Isabel , foi unida em matrimonio, segundo o rito da Santa Igreja Católica e Apostólica, como beneplácito de S. M. o Rei e consentimento de S. M. a Rainha Mãe - com S. M. o Imperador do Brasil Pedro II, filho do falecido Imperador D. Pedro I e da falecida Imperatriz Maria Leopoldina, Arquiduquesa da Áustria; Por intermédio pessoal de S. A. R. o Príncipe Leopoldo - Conde de Siracusa, munido de especial e solene procuração; do Monsenhor Pietro Naselli Capelão Mor Real. Tendo como testemunha o Comendador Francisco Alexandre Carneiro Leão - Embaixador de S. M. do Brasil, o Marquês de Pietracatella - Presidente interino do Conselho de Ministros, o Príncipe da Sicilia - Duque de Santa Cristina Ministro de Estado encarregado dos documentos e o Cavaleiro Nicola Parisio - Ministro de Estado da Justiça; na presença de S.M. o Rei e da Rainha do Reino das Duas Sicilias, da S. M. a Rainha Mãe, de S. A. R. a Condessa de Siracusa, do Príncipe e da Princesa de Salermo, do Corpo Diplomático, dos Ministros de Estado, do Conselho de Estado da Justiça, do Corpo Municipal da Cidade de Nápoles e de cavalheiros e damas. Assinam: Ferdinando II - Rei - Fernando Maria de Bourbon (1810 - 1859) Maria Isabel - Rainha - Maria Isabel da Áustria (1816 - 1867) Maria Teresa - Rainha Mãe - Maria Teresa de Bourbon (1789 - 1848) Teresa Cristina - futura Imperatriz Maria Victoria Luigi Filiberti - Condessa de Siracusa Leopoldo de Bourbon - Príncipe de Salermo Maria Clementina - Princesa de Salermo Jose Alexandre Carneiro Leão - Visconde de São Salvador de Campos, Marquês de Pietracatella Príncipe da Sicilia - Duque de Santa Cristina - Ministro de Estado Cavaliere Nicola Parisio - Ministro da Justiça Monsenhor Pietro Naselli - Capelão Mor Selo de Ferdinando II - Reino das Duas Sicilias Autografo Príncipe da Sicilia - Duque de Santa Cristina.
Em abril de 2010 foi retirado de leilão, por nos realizado, atendendo recomendação do Ministério Publico Federal, para que se procedesse a suspensão do leilão do documento ate que fosse submetido a fiscalização do IPHAN ou do Arquivo Nacional. Em 29.05. do corrente ano, por entender não mais haver providencias a serem adotadas, deu ciência ao Arquivo Nacional, ao IPHAN e ao Leiloeiro Luiz Fernando Dutra, estar promovendo o arquivamento inquérito então iniciado em abril de 2010.

 

98 Punhal e sua bainha; o punhal com lâmina de metal prateado, com coroa do Império PI; cabo de marfim, bainha de couro preto e detalhes de ouro. 37 cm de comprimento. Brasil, séc. XIX.

 

 

 

203 D. João - Príncipe
Documento manuscrito pelo qual manda lançar o hábito dos Noviços da Ordem de Cristo a Francisco José Calmon Velasco Eca, assinado O Príncipe juntamente com a rubrica e as quinas, Rio de Janeiro, 02 de janeiro de 1811. 49 x 38,5 cm.

No verso selo seco da Ordem, registros e as assinaturas do Visconde de Villa Nova da Rainha, Visconde de Mage e do Mosenhor Miranda.

 

 

203A D. João VI
Documento manuscrito pelo qual manda lançar o hábito dos Noviços da Ordem de Cristo a Gonçalo Lourenço Pereira de Abreu, assinado El Rey juntamente com a rubrica e as quinas, Rio de Janeiro, 17 de outubro de 1817. 50,5 x 40 cm.

No verso selo seco da Ordem e as assinaturas do Visconde de Villa Nova da Rainha, Visconde de Magé e do Monsenhor Miranda.

 

 

Cadaval's silver toilete set - Detroit Institute of Arts (EUA)

Cadaval's silver toilete set

Creator

Etienne Pollet (French, active 1715 - 1751) and others

Date

1738/1739

Credit

Founders Society Purchase, Elizabeth Parke Firestone Collection of Early French Silver Fund

Provenance
Probably commissioned ca. 1738 by Jaime de Mello, 3rd Duke of Cadaval of Portugal, or by Louis of Lorraine, prince de Lambesc, whose daughter Henriette married the Duke of Cadaval in May 1739; by descent, the family of the Dukes of Cadaval, Lisbon (until 1931); Jacques Helft (dealer), Paris; purchased in 1952 by Elizabeth and Harvey Firestone, Jr. for the Detroit Institute of Arts.

“UMA OBRA OUTRORA DESCONHECIDA DE KARL BRULLOW VEIO OCUPAR UM LUGAR CONDIGNO NA GALERIA TRETIAKOV”

Karl Pavlovich Briullov (1799 – 1852)
View of the fort at the peak of the island of Madeira

1849-1850

Oil on canvas
65 x 77
As with other watercolor, landscapes Brullov type bezlyuden. He keeps epic proportions,
despite the relatively small size. Scenery executed in a reddish-brown color characteristic of the
later works of the artist. Painter temperament expressed through expressive and dynamic
brushstroke. Bryullov uses favorite romantics effect of double coverage, comparing
rozoveyuschee sunset sky and clouds. State Tretyakov gallery, Russia

2004
“UMA OBRA OUTRORA DESCONHECIDA DE KARL BRULLOW VEIO OCUPAR UM LUGAR CONDIGNO NA GALERIA TRETIAKOV”

Galeria de Estado Tretiakov ficou enriquecida com uma obra-prima outrora desconhecida de Karl Brullow. O quadro “Uma Vista do Forte do Pico na Ilha da Madeira” veio ocupar um lugar condigno na exposição dessa pinacoteca. Essa tela ímpar foi adquirida por 225 mil euros com uma verba liberada pelo Fundo de Reserva da Presidência Federal da Rússia, tendo uma parte desse dinheiro sido oferecida pelo Ministério da Cultura. Nosso repórter Viktor Voronov assistiu à cerimónia de apresentação desse quadro.

Falando aos presentes, o director-geral da Galeria Tretiakov, Valentin Radionov, disse: - Até que enfim está concluída a surpreendente história deste quadro. Uma história ainda não registada nos anais da Galeria Tretiakov. História essa que contou com o apoio de muitas pessoas: desde um simples funcionário da nossa pinacoteca até o presidente da Federação da Rússia. Por toda a parte, em todos os níveis encontramos compreensão e a vontade de nos ajudar para que a tela retornasse para a terra pátria do grande pintor. O mais importante é que acaba de se consumar um fato histórico muito sério: uma obra até ultimamente desconhecida foi resgatada e voltou para a Galeria Tretiakov.

O quadro havia passado mais de 150 anos sem sair da ilha portuguesa da Madeira, onde o pintor russo foi se tratar em 1849-1850. A chegada de Karl Brullow para a Madeira não foi uma mera casualidade. Porque aquela ilha já então era famosa pelas suas estâncias balneares invernais e um clima ameno. A partir do Funchal, a cidade principal da ilha, se divisa nitidamente “o Forte do Pico”, construído no século XVI, uma vista que inspirou inúmeros pintores. Também Karl Brullow não podia faltar nesse rol de admiradores daquela velha fortificação. Não poupou cores brilhantes no esboço que ofereceu como presente ao seu médico Antônio Alves da Silva. Na biografia profissional do distinto retratista e pintor de cenas históricas, este é um exemplo quase único de interesse por uma paisagem natural.

Esta é a única paisagem “pura” até hoje conhecida de Karl Brullow, executada pelo artífice na técnica de pintura a óleo. O trabalho aparece numa tela de 65 por 67 centímetros. No quadro aparece a paisagem montanhosa da ilha da Madeira. O velho Forte do Pico erguesse sobre um fundo constituído por um relevo muito acidentado. O romântico motivo de iluminação dupla, com uma nuvem preta avançando para fechar um céu rosáceo do pôr-do-sol, é o que impressiona sobretudo nesse quadro feito numa tonalidade dourado-marrom e ginja-preto, caraterística de Karl Brullow.

Para adquirir o quadro e trazê-lo para Moscou, uma contribuição activa foi dada pelo Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros da Rússia, especialmente pelo pessoal da Embaixada russa em Portugal. Segundo o chanceler russo Igor Ivanov, “O retorno de uma obra do grande pintor russo para a terra pátria é um acontecimento histórico único, uma grande alegria para nós todos”. - Penso que, além de constituir um acontecimento milenário para a Galeria Tretiakov, onde repousará esta obra-prima da pintura russa, isso reflete as tradições gerais agora em progressão na Rússia – acentuou Igor Ivanov. – O País vai se firmando seguramente, recuperando seu poderio, do qual a cultura faz parte. Estou certo de que isto é apenas o início de grandes acontecimentos que irão se operando na nossa vida cultural.

Essa paisagem desconhecida havia sido descoberta na colecção particular da Senhora Margarida Lemos Gomes por Ielena Bekhtíeva, do pessoal científico da Galeria Tretiakov, que estuda o período português da obra desse pintor. - Acaba de se realizar um sonho de minha vida – narra Ielena Bekhtíeva. Finalmente, o quadro de Karli Brullow “Uma Vista do Forte do Pico na Ilha da Madeira”, descoberto no verão de 2000 naquela longínqua ilha portuguesa, está na Galeria Tretiakov. Agradeço aos nossos restauradores que deram provas do seu alto profissionalismo para prolongar a vida dessa tela e comunicaram o colorido original à paisagem de Karl Brullow. Graças ao apoio prestado por muitas pessoas envolvidas no processo que cumulou com o retorno do quadro de Karl Brullow para a Rússia, o prolongado “assédio” do Forte do Pico, que levara três anos, terminou com a vitória – comenta, sorridente, Ielena Bekhtieva. – Sim, porque é não somente uma vitória das artes russas, é um triunfo da nossa diplomacia russa. Por quando nesse “assédio” não houve vencidos, tudo terminou pacificamente, tendo essa “batalha” servido unicamente para estreitar as relações de amizade entre a Rússia e Portugal. E também Dona Margarida, a última dona do quadro de Karl Brullow, que de início não queria vir ao nosso País, finalmente prometeu visitar a Galeria Tretiakov em Maio próximo para se convencer de que o seu nome está gravado nos documentos da nossa pinacoteca, conforme lhe fora prometido.

Uma vez concluídos os trabalhos de restauração, essa obra de Karl Brullow doravante terá um lugar permanente no acervo da Galeria Estatal Tretiakov para abrir ao público mais uma faceta da obra desse grande pintor russo.

Copyright © The Voice of Russia, 2004

Obra de Álvaro Pires d'Évora

Nossa Senhora com o Menino
e dois Anjos
Álvaro Pires de Évora
act. conhecida 1411-1434
c. 1415, têmpera sobre madeira
175 x 75 cm
Museo Naziole di San Matteo
Pisa, Itália


Nossa Senhora com o Menino
Álvaro Pires de Évora
act. conhecida 1411-1434
c.1424, têmpera sobre madeira
116 x 50 cm
Pinacoteca Nazionale
Cagliari, Itália


Nossa Senhora com o Menino
Álvaro Pires de Évora
act. conhecida 1411-1434
1415-23, têmpera sobre madeira, com fundo a ouro
99 x 61 cm
Comuna
Livorno, Itália.


Nossa Senhora com o Menino
Álvaro Pires de Évora
act. conhecida 1411-1434
1415/1423, têmpera sobre madeira
231 x 123 cm
Igreja de Santa Croce in Fossabanda
Pisa, Itália


Virgem com o Menino, S. Bartolomeu e Santo Antão
Álvaro Pires de Évora
act. conhecida 1411-1434
c. 1410, têmpera sobre madeira
92 x 54 cm
Museu de Évora
Évora, Portugal

Museu de Évora - "A Virgem com o Menino entre S. Bartolomeu e Santo Antão, sob a Anunciação" de Álvaro Pires d'Évora

64 Mil Contos por Obra de Álvaro Pires para Museu de Évora
Por ISABEL SALEMA
Segunda-feira, 24 de Dezembro de 2001

Primeira obra de um pintor portugues

O Museu de Évora passa a ter nas suas colecções a obra de um pintor mítico. Nunca até hoje tinha sido possível adquirir um Álvaro Pires para Portugal, mas a compra por 64 mil contos vai tornar a cidade um destino obrigatório para os amantes de pintura antiga

Foi difícil escolher uma iluminação adequada para o novo quadro do Museu de Évora. O ouro utilizado pelo pintor quatrocentista Álvaro Pires devolve um brilho esplendoroso e ofusca o olhar. O quadro, intitulado "A Virgem com o Menino entre S. Bartolomeu e Santo Antão, sob a Anunciação", é absolutamente singular nas colecções portuguesas e foi um inesperado presente de Natal para o museu, resultado de uma acção de mecenato como não há memória no Instituto Português de Museus (IPM).

De facto, é uma obra de importância excepcional no âmbito da história da arte nacional, porque o autor desta tábua do século XV pode ser considerado o primeiro pintor português.

"Tinha um desgosto imenso, porque não havia nenhuma obra de Álvaro Pires em Portugal. Foram feitas algumas tentativas nos últimos anos que falharam", diz a directora do IPM, Raquel Henriques da Silva.

O quadro foi comprado com o apoio da Finagra de José Roquette e da Fundação BCP a um intermediário português que o trouxe da Irlanda. O valor da aquisição chegou aos 64 mil contos (320 mil euros) e trata-se, segundo a directora do IPM, da obra mais cara comprada até hoje para um museu nacional e de um caso pioneiro de mecenato desta envergadura. Raquel Henriques da Silva diz que não houve outro caso semelhante desde que está na direcção do IPM.

"Foi uma sorte absolutamente extraordinária. Temos sempre a penosa experiência de bater a dezenas de portas. Neste caso, o mote da procura foi Évora. José Roquette, por causa do seu trabalho com o património na Herdade do Esporão, foi a primeira ideia." Roquette disse sim de imediato e comprometeu-se a arranjar um parceiro para a operação. Finagra e BCP vão pagar o quadro através de uma acção de três anos de apoio mecenático, cobrindo 90 por cento do investimento, enquanto o IPM entrará com seis mil contos (30 mil euros). Uma aquisição próxima deste valor, mas sem apoio mecenático, foi feita em 1996 para comprar um quadro de Fernando Lanhas para o Museu do Chiado, considerada a primeira obra abstraccionista em Portugal.

Primeiro Álvaro Pires em Portugal
A compra foi proposta pelo director do Museu de Évora, Joaquim Caetano, à directora do IPM, e o empenho posto nesta aquisição, dizem os dois, deve-se ao facto de não haver nenhum Álvaro Pires em Portugal - um pintor com cerca de 30 obras, das quais apenas meia dúzia permanece fora dos museus - e autor, afinal, "da primeira pintura feita por um português", nas palavras de Caetano, especialista em pintura antiga. E o que significa ser o primeiro pintor português? "É o primeiro nome que temos na história de arte em Portugal a que podemos ligar pinturas. Álvaro Pires é o primeiro a assinar obras e aos outros nomes que temos documentados não lhes podemos atribuir pinturas. A seguir só temos o Nuno Gonçalves dos 'Painéis de S. Vicente'".

Álvaro Pires terá saído de Portugal há 600 anos para ir para Itália e a sua pintura enquadra-se no gótico tardio de Pisa. A presença do pintor está documentada em Pisa, Volterra e Florença entre 1411 e 1434. Vasari, o principal biógrafo dos pintores do Renascimento (ed. Florença 1562), chama-lhe Alvaro di Piero di Portogallo, nome com que assinou duas das suas obras, mas - adianta o director do Museu de Évora - no retábulo da igreja de Santa Croce in Fossabanda de Pisa, assina, em português, como "Alvaro Pirez Devora Pintov" (Álvaro Pires de Évora Pintou).

Raquel Henriques da Silva sublinha que para um pintor, no início do século XV, "é bastante raro a assinatura e ainda mais raro, estando em Itália, assinar em português - é uma espécie de reivindicação da nacionalidade". Assim, a conclusão que se pode tirar, para a directora do IMP, é que Álvaro Pires foi para Itália em adulto, porque sabia escrever em português.

O lugar deste pintor "mítico" na história da arte nacional, cuja obra se integra na escola italiana de pintura, está ainda por esclarecer, porque "a questão é que não conhecemos a pintura portuguesa desta época, não sobrou quase nada". E as menos de cinco dezenas de quadros que sobraram (sem as de Álvaro Pires) não explicam como é que no final do século XV pode aparecer, aparentemente vindo do nada, uma obra excepcional no âmbito da pintura europeia como os "Painéis de S. Vicente", hoje no Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga.

Para o Ministério da Cultura, esta aquisição é duplamente importante, como explica o secretário de Estado, José Conde Rodrigues, "devido à importância da obra para a museologia nacional e para os seus conteúdos" e "é a concretização das percerias que queremos estabelecer com os privados ao abrigo da Lei do Mecenato Cultural".

Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806)

Número de Inventário:00151 TC
Tipo de Espécime:Transparência a cores (TC)
Instituição / Proprietário:Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
Número de Inventário do Objecto:1548 Pint
Categoria:Pintura
Denominação / Título:Duas Irmãs
Datação:Século XVIII [1760-1770]
Dimensões:A 31,7 x L 24 cm
Autoria / Produção:Jean Honoré Fragonard / Jean Honoré Fragonard / Francesa
Grupo Cultural:
Descritores:
Informação Técnica:Óleo sobre madeira de sucupira
Fotógrafo:José Pessoa, 1999
Copyright:© IMC / MC



Artist
Jean Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732–1806)

Title
The Two Sisters

Medium
Oil on canvas

Dimensions
28 1/4 x 22 in. (71.8 x 55.9 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Julia A. Berwind, 1953

Accession Number
53.61.5

Gallery Label
The earliest description we have of the picture is from a 1785 sale catalog, where it is described as "two girls occupied with games suitable to their ages." The younger child is seated upon a hobby horse; the older pushes the horse, while holding its peach-colored lead rein. The painting, which has been cut down, dates to about 1770.

Notes
A preliminary oil sketch for this painting is in the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon. The finished painting was copied in a pastel by the Abbé de Saint-Non (dated 1770; MMA 1977.383) and engraved by Gérard Vidal (1742–1801, MMA 53.674). All of these related works show the composition of the painting before it was cut down by an unknown owner at some point between 1906 and 1916; the original dimensions were 39 x 31 7/8 in., according to the Veri sale catalogue of 1785. In this catalogue the painting is described as representing two sisters; the engraving is inscribed "Les Jeunes Soeurs." In 1916, however, Gimpel & Wildenstein announced to the Parisian press that the painting showed Fragonard's daughter Rosalie (born 1769) and his young sister-in-law Marguerite Gérard (born 1761). If the date on the Saint-Non pastel is correctly read as 1770, there is no question that this identification is wrong. Even if, however, the date is read as 1779 (there is a dot below the zero that could be taken for the tail of a nine), the apparent age difference between the two girls is not nearly as great as that between Rosalie and Marguerite. In addition, the older girl bears no resemblance to the earliest known portrait of Marguerite, a sketch in the Musées de Besançon dating from about 1778–81 (ill. D. Wakefield, Fragonard, 1976, fig. 45.).

Provenance
Louis Gabriel de Véri Raionard, marquis de Véri, Paris (until d. 1785;
his estate sale, Hôtel de Bullion, Paris, December 12, 1785, no. 35, as "deux jeunes filles. . . ;
la plus petite est montée sur un cheval de carton porté par des roulettes," 37 x 30 pouces [39 1/2 x 32 in.], for 350 livres to Saint-Marc);
Jean Paul André Des Rasins, marquis de Saint-Marc, Paris (from 1785);
private collection, near Stockholm, Sweden (sold to Zarine);
A. Zarine, Consul General of Russia, Paris (until 1916;
sold to Gimpel & Wildenstein);
[Gimpel & Wildenstein, Paris, 1916–18; sold for $194,000 to Berwind];
Edward J. Berwind, New York (1918–d. 1936);
his sister, Julia A. Berwind, New York (1936–53)

Exhibition History
Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art. "Fragonard," May 24–June 29, 1980, no. 77.

Tokyo. National Museum of Western Art. "Fragonard," March 18–May 11, 1980, no. 77.

Paris. Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais. "Fragonard," September 24, 1987–January 4, 1988, no. 157.

New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Fragonard," February 2–May 8, 1988, no. 157.

References
Catalogue des tableaux des trois écoles . . . du cabinet de feu M le Marquis de Véri. Hôtel de Bullion, Paris. December 12, 1785, p. 24, no. 35.

Edmond de Goncourt and Jules de Goncourt. L'art du dix-huitième siècle. 2, 3rd ed. Paris, 1882, p. 374.

Baron Roger Portalis. Honoré Fragonard, sa vie et son oeuvre. Paris, 1889, pp. 63, 275, 329, no. 116 (Vidal's engraving, "Les Jeunes Soeurs"), ill. opp. p. 114 (1st state of engraving).

Edmond de Goncourt and Jules de Goncourt. L'art du dix-huitième siècle. definitive ed. Paris, 1906, vol. 3, p. 288.

Pierre de Nolhac. J.-H. Fragonard, 1732–1806. Paris, 1906, p. 131.

Georges Grappe. H. Fragonard: Peintre de l'amour au XVIIIe siècle. Paris, 1913, vol. 1, p. 120; vol. 2, p. 65, no. 31 (the engraving).

A. Damécourt. "Nos échos: Un Fragonard." Le cousin pons 1 (December 15, 1916), pp. 141–42, ill. (engraving).

"Dans les galeries d'art." New York Herald [Paris] (December 2, 1916), p. 4, col. 6.

"Discovered Fragonard." American Art News 15 (January 6, 1917), p. 5, ill. (engraving).

A. Damécourt. "A propos d'un Fragonard." Le cousin pons 2 (March 1, 1917), p. 182, ill. (engraving).

Briggs Davenport. "A Fragonard Rediscovered." American Art News 15 (March 17, 1917), p. 5.

L[ouis]. V[auxcelles]. "Art ancien: Un chef-d'oeuvre de Fragonard retrouvé." Le carnet des artistes no. 2 (February 15, 1917), pp. 9–11, ill. (showing canvas cut to its present size).

Louis Réau. L'art français aux États-Unis. Paris, 1926, p. 142.

Louis Réau. Fragonard, sa vie et son oeuvre. Brussels, 1956, pp. 167, 245–46.

Georges Wildenstein. "L'Abbé de Saint-Non, artiste et mécène." Gazette des beaux-arts, 6th ser., 54 (November 1959), p. 228.

Georges Wildenstein. The Paintings of Fragonard, Complete Edition. London, 1960, p. 305, no. 476, pl. 106.

Elizabeth E. Gardner. "Four French Paintings from the Berwind Collection." Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 20 (May 1962), pp. 265, 268, fig. 6.

René Gimpel. Diary of an Art Dealer. English ed. New York, 1966, p. 33.

Gabriele Mandel in L'opera completa di Fragonard. Milan, 1972, p. 108, no. 501, ill.

Eunice Williams. Drawings by Fragonard in North American Collections. Exh. cat., National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1978, p. 136.

Mary Ann Wurth Harris. "The Abbé de Saint-Non and His Pastel Copy of a Painting by Fragonard." Apollo 110 (July 1979), pp. 57, 60–61, fig. 2.

Denys Sutton. Fragonard. Exh. cat., National Museum of Western Art. Tokyo, 1980, unpaginated, no. 77, ill. (color).

Jean-Pierre Cuzin. Jean-Honoré Fragonard: Vie et oeuvre, catalogue complet des peintures. Fribourg, Switzerland, 1987, pp. 127–28, 296–97, no. 195, ill. (in text and catalogue).

Pierre Rosenberg. Fragonard. Exh. cat., The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York, 1988, pp. 332–34, no. 157, ill. in color.

Ivory Salt-cellar at the Met

Title
Lidded Saltcellar

Date
15th–16th century

Culture
Sapi-Portuguese

Geography
Sierra Leone, Guinea Coast

Medium
Ivory

Dimensions
Height x Diam.: 11 3/4 x 4 1/4 in. (29.8 x 10.8 cm)

Credit Line
Gift of Paul and Ruth W. Tishman, 1991

Accession Number
1991.435a, b

Description
This saltcellar is both an extraordinary example of skilled workmanship and an artifact that epitomizes a singularly important convergence of cultures. In the second half of the fifteenth century, Portuguese explorers and traders were impressed by the considerable talent of ivory carvers along the coast of West Africa. As a result, they were inspired to commission works of this kind for their patrons, which ingeniously combine both European and African aesthetics and forms. During this period, salt and pepper were costly commodities and elaborate receptacles were appropriate for their storage in princely homes.

This work contains imagery relating to indigenous Sapi belief systems. The four snakes, associated with mystical wealth, appear to confront four growling dogs. According to regional traditions, dogs are considered spiritually astute animals able to see spirits and ghosts that are invisible to humans. This depiction of the dogs, with teeth bared, hair bristling, and ears laid back, may relate to that ability. However, the level of animation in this scene could also derive from chivalric hunting scenes in European woodcuts, which were furnished to local African artists by their European patrons.

Provenance
Jay C. Leff, Uniontown, PA; Paul and Ruth W. Tishman, New York, 1991.

http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/collection_database/arts_of_africa%2C_oceania%2C_and_the_americas/lidded_saltcellar/objectview.aspx?OID=50009109&collID=5&dd1=5

CHRISTIES - A PAIR OF SILVER GILT-FRAMES WITH TWO PAINTED IVORY PANELS

A PAIR OF SILVER GILT-FRAMES WITH TWO PAINTED IVORY PANELS OF THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI AND THE VIRGIN AND CHILD WITH SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA - THE PAINTINGS BY MARIA-FELICE SUBLEYRAS-TIBALDI (1707-1770) AND THE FRAMES BY GIUSEPPE RUSCA (MASTER 1695-1745), CIRCA 1745

Price Realized (Set Currency) £373,250
($601,306)
Price includes buyer's premium
Estimate£50,000 - £80,000
($76,000 - $120,000)

Sale Information
Sale 7745
important european furniture, sculpture & clocks
9 July 2009
London, King Street

Lot Description
A PAIR OF SILVER GILT-FRAMES WITH TWO PAINTED IVORY PANELS OF THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI AND THE VIRGIN AND CHILD WITH SAINT ANTHONY OF PADUA
THE PAINTINGS BY MARIA-FELICE SUBLEYRAS-TIBALDI (1707-1770) AND THE FRAMES BY GIUSEPPE RUSCA (MASTER 1695-1745), CIRCA 1745
The reverse of each frame elaborately engraved with strapwork and foliage; both frames bearing the Rome city stamp and the maker's mark; the former panel signed and dated 'Ma· Felice Tibaldi Subleyras Pinx. 1745'; the latter signed and dated 'Ma. Felice Tibaldi Subleyras Pinx. 1744'; very minor wear, one of the suspension loops lacking
7¾ x 5¾ in. (19.8 x 14.7 cm.) the painted panels; 11¾ x 8½ in. (29.8 x 21.6 cm.) the frames (2)


Special Notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Saleroom Notice
Please note that there is new provenance for this lot. Records from the Portuguese royal archives show that the present two framed miniatures were commissioned by the king, John V of Portugal, along with a third miniature depicting St. Joseph, now lost. Payment was made in three instalments on 29 July and 18 November 1744, and 30 January 1745, for a total of 300 scudi. The miniatures are minutely described, including the fact that a first set of ebony frames were rejected in favour of the present silver-gilt ones.

For more precise details please contact the department.

We would like to thank Jennifer Montagu for bringing this additional documentation to our attention.


Pre-Lot Text
PROPERTY FROM A PORTUGUESE DUCAL FAMILY

Lot Notes
Maria-Felice Tibaldi Subleyras (1707-1770) was a talented miniaturist who was also married to the French artist Pierre Subleyras (1699-1749). She was renowned both for her portraits and her depictions of religious scenes, many of them painted after compositions by her husband.

Although beautifully painted, the present lot is equally notable for the sumptuous silver-gilt frames by the Roman goldsmith Giuseppe Rusca (master 1696-1745). The cast frames have been exquisitely punched and chased, and the reverse of each frame has also been covered with a plate which is extensively decorated with strapwork and foliate decoration.

The fashion for Roman silver among aristocratic Portuguese families was at its height in the mid 18th century, promoted as it was by the monarch, John V of Portugal (1689-1750). Funded by the vast wealth pouring into his coffers from the natural resources of Brazil, the king was considered the most important artistic patron of his day. This patronage is perhaps best exemplified by the Chapel of St. John the Baptist in the church of Sao Roque, Lisbon. Commissioned by the king in 1740, it was constructed in Rome of mosaics, gilt-bronze and precious hardstones such as lapis lazuli and porphyry, and the elaborate liturgical candlesticks and vessels were made of silver by Roman craftsmen. The entire chapel was then dismantled, packed onto three boats and shipped to Lisbon where it was re-assembled. It was said to be the most expensive chapel in its day.

Don Juan III de Portugal

Nº Inventario 8481
Colección PINTURA
Autor Antonio Moro.
Título Don Juan III de Portugal
Cronología XVI (1552)
Escuela Flamenca / Española
Lugar de producción Flandes / Países Bajos.
Material Tabla
Técnica Óleo
Dimensiones 101 x 81 cm. / 132 x 103,3 x 11 cm.
Localización Sala XVII

Antiguo Inventario Óleo sobre lienzo. Don Juan III de Portugal. Firmado por Moro en 1552. Pintó este retrato en su viaje a Portugal cuando se negociaba el matrimonio entre Felipe II y su prima la Infanta Doña María. De este año, es el retrato de Doña Catalina de Austria compañero del de Juan III en el Museo del Prado. Hay otra réplica de este cuadro. Dimensiones: 1010-810. OBSERVACIONES: (Procede de la colección París). (CAMPS CAZORLA, Emilio 1949-1950) . De casi cuerpo entero y tres cuartos, mirando al frente. Viste de negro con gorra y lleva arma blanca, apoya su mano derecha en un mueble. Destaca su rostro muy blanco sobre el fondo oscuro.

Reproducciones Diapositiva Color 9x12 (3)
R.311-12/ Negativos Blanco y Negro . 9x12 (1)
Digitalización de alta resolución CD ROM (64)
Procedencia -Procede de la Colección Lázaro de París. - -Comprado en París entre fines de 1939 y comienzos de 1940. Pintura que intentó comprar a Lázaro el Museo Nacional de Lisboa. El ofrecimiento el 4 de agosto de 1938, por medio de Max Rothschild Ltd., fue de 1.000 libras (Archivo Lázaro Florido. L14, C3 - 36) (Carmen Espinosa)

Catalina de Austria, esposa de Juan III de Portugal

Num. de catálogo
P02109
Autor
Moro, Antonio
Título
Catalina de Austria, esposa de Juan III de Portugal
Cronología
1552
Técnica
Óleo
Soporte
Tabla
Medidas
107 cm x 84 cm
Escuela
Holandesa
Tema
Retrato
Expuesto
Si
Procedencia
Colección Real

Hermana menor de Carlos V, nacida en 1507 después de morir su padre Felipe el Hermoso, se casa en 1525 con Juan III de Portugal y muere en 1578. De carácter enérgico, al morir su esposo asume la regencia de Portugal en nombre de su nieto Sebastián, entonces menor de edad.

Ejecutado por Moro durante su estancia en Portugal, muestra a doña Catalina, de más de medio cuerpo y de pie junto a una mesa. El pintor la utiliza como símbolo de majestad, igual que Tiziano en su primer retrato de Felipe II, y dispone sobre ella un pergamino doblado alusivo a su condición de gobernante. Moro se recrea al pintar el suntuoso vestido y el tocado a la portuguesa, las joyas y el abano o abanico, propios de su posición.

D. Catarina de Áustria e Santa Catarina

Número de Inventário:21929 TC
Tipo de Espécime:Transparência a cores (TC)
Instituição / Proprietário:Igreja Madre de Deus
Número de Inventário do Objecto:Pint.1
Categoria:Pintura
Denominação / Título:D. Catarina de Áustria e Santa Catarina
Datação:Século XVI
Dimensões:198,2 x 150 cm
Autoria / Produção:Cristóvão Lopes / Cristóvão Lopes
Grupo Cultural:
Descritores:
Informação Técnica:Óleo s/ madeira
Fotógrafo:José Pessoa, 1991
Copyright:© IMC / MC

Retrato de D. Catarina de Áustria com Santa Catarina

Número de Inventário:00920 TC
Tipo de Espécime:Transparência a cores (TC)
Instituição / Proprietário:Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
Número de Inventário do Objecto:968 Pint
Categoria:Pintura
Denominação / Título:Retrato de D. Catarina de Áustria com Santa Catarina
Datação:Século XVI (1565-1570)
Dimensões:A. 177,5 x L. 84 cm
Autoria / Produção:Cristóvão Lopes (atrib.) / Cristóvão Lopes (atrib.) / Portuguesa
Grupo Cultural:
Descritores:
Informação Técnica:Óleo sobre madeira de carvalho
Fotógrafo:José Pessoa, 1993
Copyright:© IMC / MC

Meninas no campo

Número de Inventário:40190 TC
Tipo de Espécime:Transparência a cores (TC)
Instituição / Proprietário:Museu do Chiado - MNAC
Número de Inventário do Objecto:MNAC-MC 759
Categoria:Pintura
Denominação / Título:Meninas no campo
Datação:
Dimensões:
Autoria / Produção:Loire, Léon Henri Antoine
Grupo Cultural:
Descritores:
Informação Técnica:Tela
Fotógrafo:José Pessoa, 2009
Copyright:© IMC / MC

Sotheby's - Old Master Paintings Evening Sale

Sale: L09633 | Location: London
Auction Dates: Session 1: Wed, 08 Jul 09 7:00 PM



LOT 12

THE PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN
JACOB VAN HULSDONCK
ANTWERP 1582 - 1647
A STILL LIFE OF WILD STRAWBERRIES AND A CARNATION IN A MING BOWL, WITH CHERRIES AND REDCURRANTS ON A WOODEN LEDGE


300,000—500,000 GBP


MEASUREMENTS

measurements note
28.4 by 36 cm.; 11 1/4 by 14 1/4 in.





DESCRIPTION

signed lower left: IVHVLSDONCK. FE (IVH in ligature)

oil on copper (affixed to a panel)







PROVENANCE

Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Lady'), London, Christie's, 25 November 1966, lot 44, for 4000 Guineas to Koetser;
With Leonard Koetser, London, 1967;
With Julia Kraus, Paris;
Private collection, Germany, 1983;
Robert H. Smith, Washington;
With Bob Haboldt, New York, 1995;
Private collection;
Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Private Collector'), London, Sotheby's, 14 December 2000, lot 15, where bought by the present owner.



EXHIBITED

London, Leonard Koetser, Spring 1967, no. 3, reproduced;
Amsterdam, P. de Boer, 22 April - 31 May 1983;
Braunschweig, Herzog Anton-Ulrich-Museum, A Fruitful Past, 15 June - 31 July 1983, no. 27;
New York, Bob P. Haboldt, Fifty Paintings by Old Masters, 1995, no. 28.


LITERATURE AND REFERENCES

T.H. Crombie, 'Autumn Offerings', in Apollo, vol. lxxviii, no. 20, October 1963, p. 305, reproduced;
Christie's Review of the Season, 1966-7, p. 30, reproduced;
'The Leonard Koetser Spring Exhibition', in The Connoisseur, no. 164, 1967, p. 253, reproduced fig. 3;
S. Segal, in A Fruitful Past, exhibition catalogue, Amsterdam 1983, pp. 65, 115, cat. no. 27;
S. Segal, Flowers and Nature, The Hague 1990, p. 84, cat. no. 31, reproduced.



CATALOGUE NOTE

Though born in Antwerp, Hulsdonck seems to have spent his youth in Middelburg, where the exiled Flemish Protestants fleeing the Spanish Terror after 1585 included many artists as well as patrons. This, and the close trading links with Dutch cities upstream such as Dordrecht, provided there a fertile breeding ground for artistic talent. Hulsdonck certainly knew Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder. The two artists' work show great affinity, but Bosschaert, who was nearly ten years older than Hulsdonck, probably influenced the younger artist. Both were influenced by Jan Brueghel the Elder, but after Hulsdonck's return to Antwerp in 1608, his work shows more affinity with Osias Beert, who had been enrolled in the Guild in 1602 (but who never dated a picture), and who therefore probably influenced Hulsdonck, rather than vice versa.

This understated picture is one of Hulsdonck's most elegant compositions. His simplest compositions tend to be his most successful - the same is true of his still lifes of flowers in vases.

Old Master Paintings Evening Sale

Sale: L09633 | Location: London
Auction Dates: Session 1: Wed, 08 Jul 09 7:00 PM



LOT 11

THE PROPERTY OF A NOBLEMAN
SIR ANTHONY VAN DYCK
ANTWERP 1599 - 1641 LONDON
PORTRAIT OF ENDYMION PORTER (1587-1649)

1,000,000—1,500,000 GBP

MEASUREMENTS

114.5 by 94 cm., 45 by 37 in.





DESCRIPTION

half length, wearing a red silk doublet and cloak

oil on canvas







PROVENANCE

Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke (1757-1834), Wimpole Hall by 1798;
by descent to his daughter Anne, wife of John Savile, 3rd Earl of Mexborough (1783-1860);
thence by descent



EXHIBITED


London, British Institution, 1829, no. 133;
London, British Institution, 1864, no 49;
London, Grosvenor Gallery, Exhibition of the Works of Sir Anthony van Dyck, 1887, no. 31;
York, City Art Gallery, on loan 1950-2009;
London, Tate Britain, Van Dyck and Britain, 2009, no. 15




LITERATURE AND REFERENCES


J. Smith, A Catalogue Raisonne of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish and French Painters, 1831, no. 616;
L. Cust, Anthony van Dyck; An Historical Study of His Life and Works, 1900, p. 281, nos. 161 & 162;
J.M.J., 'Endymion Porter', Preview. City of York Art Gallery, January 1954, no. 25, pp. 266-7;
G. Huxley, Endymion Porter; The Life of a Courtier 1587-1649, 1959, p.158;
E. Larsen, The Paintings of Anthony van Dyck, 2 vols., 1988, no. A263;
S. Barnes et al., Van Dyck; a Complete Catalogue of the Paintings, 2004, no. III.119, p.343 (illus.);
E. Honig, 'Van Dyck and Britain', in The Burlington Magazine, Vol. CLI, no. 1274, May 2009, pp.327-329, illus. fig. 48



CATALOGUE NOTE


"Tho' obscure, yet he was a great man and beloved of two kings, James I for his amiable wit and Charles I (to whom he was a servant) for his general learning, brave stile, sweet temper, great experience, travels and modern languages". Anthony Wood (1632-1695)

The present painting is a portrait of the artist's close friend and confidante Endymion Porter, diplomat, connoisseur, and courtier to Charles I. 'One of the most cultivated men of the early Stuart court.' [i] Endymion had been born in 1587 at Mickleton in Gloucestershire, the eldest son of Edmund Porter (d.1623) and his wife Angela. They were a prosperous family of the minor gentry, with strong Spanish links through Endymion's grandfather Giles Porter, who had gone to Castile in the 1560's where he had married Dona Juana de Fiueroa y Mont Salve. In 1605, the young Endymion travelled to Spain when his grandfather returned as a translator with the Earl of Nottingham on a special envoy to the Spanish Court. At Valladolid he secured a position in the service of the Conde de Olivares's under the patronage of his grandmother's aristocratic relations. This early service was to have a lasting and important impact on the young man's future career for it brought him into contact with Don Gaspar de Guzmán, the Conde's heir and later de-facto ruler of Spain under Phillip IV, to whom Endymion was assigned as tutor and became a life long friend.

Endymion's civility, erudition, geniality, and most importantly his intimate knowledge of Spain and its politics, culture and language (a rare commodity among young English gentlemen in the early 17th century) endeared him to the Prince of Wales, whose service he entered in 1621. At the time James I was making Charles learn Spanish and it may well be that he chose Endymion as tutor for the young prince. At court Endymion's services for Charles largely centred on his Spanish correspondence, particularly in regard to his dealing with the Spanish over a possible marriage alliance between the Prince and the Infanta Isabella, and in the acquisition of pictures. As one of the Grooms of the Bedchamber to the young prince, Endymion was the only member of Charles's domestic retinue to be entrusted with foreign affairs, or to be engaged with the acquisition of works of art. In February 1623 he was one of the two aides, along with Francis Cottington, who accompanied the Prince and Buckingham on their clandestine and ultimately futile mission to Madrid to secure the Infanta's hand in marriage, an occasion which presented both men with the opportunity to indulge their mutually absorbing passion in the arts. Endymion had become intimately familiar with the wonders of the Spanish royal picture collection almost twenty years previously, while in the service of the Olivares, and with his Endymion as guide Charles was now himself exposed for the first time to the assembled masterpieces of the Renaissance at the Spanish Court. The experience was one that would have a deep psychological impact on the future King's own self image, defining his vision of kingship, and thus directly influencing the imagery and symbolism of his own court. It also confirmed his early affection for the Venetian School, particularly a life long devotion to the work of Titian.

In Madrid Charles and Endymion attended meetings of connoisseurs, as well as picture sales, where several works were purchased, including at least two Titians. Cottington's account book for 14th July records a payment "by Mr. Porter's order, being for a picture which was bought for the Prince's account", as well as an entry for further pictures "signified unto me by Mr. Porter" [ii]. On leaving Madrid, among other gifts, Philip IV presented Charles with Titian's Venus of the Prado and Giambologna's statue of Cain and Abel, before spending two days at the Escorial, where Cottington recorded in his account book for 8th September "paid unto a painter for drawing the Prince's picture, signified by Mr. Porter from the Prince": a reference to an untraced sketch of Charles by Diego Velasquez [iii].

Endymion and van Dyck first met on the artist's initial visit to England between 1620 and 1621, while Endymion was in the service of George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. During this trip to England van Dyck is known to have worked for both the King and the Earl of Arundel, and, although no portrait of Buckingham survives from this period, there is an entry in the Villiers' accounts for the end of 1620 which records a payment made by Porter on the Duke's behalf 'given to van Dyke the picture drawer'. Sadly the paper is torn and no further details of the commission survive, though it has been plausibly suggested that the payment refers to a painting entitled The Continence of Scipio (now at Christ Church College, Oxford) on the basis that a painting on this subject by van Dyck was listed in an inventory of Buckingham's collection at York House in 1635. The details of the commission may never be confirmed, but suggest the first encounter between artist and courtier, from which would develop a profound and lasting friendship, one which would help shape the very image of the Caroline Court.

This painting represents the first in a series of portraits of the sitter by van Dyck and was probably commissioned in Antwerp in 1628. In August of that year Endymion travelled to Madrid, via The Hague and Brussels, on another of his many diplomatic missions for Charles I. Crossing the Channel with his brother Thomas, a captain in the Navy, and the picture dealer Balthasar Gerbier, he stopped in Antwerp where he paid a visit to van Dyck's studio, ostensibly to commission a painting of Rinaldo and Armida (Baltimore Museum of Art) on behalf of Charles I. Letters from Endymion's agent in Antwerp, Mr Perry, to Captain Thomas Porter attest to the fact that both he and Endymion commissioned works from van Dyck for themselves as well, and it can reasonably be assumed that this refers to the present portrait [iv]. The date of his sitting must have been some time in late August for, at the beginning of September, Endymion started out for Madrid, joining up with Rubens at Basel, who was also bound for Spain on diplomatic business.

One of the earliest of van Dyck's portraits of Englishmen, the painting is emblematic of the introduction of a progressively more engaging and psycho-analytical style of portraiture than had been previously practiced in England, one that emphatically reveals the sitter's personality and sophistication. The artist portrays his friend and patron in a striking, yet intimate and refined pose. His rich satin doublet and great cloak, with its soft muted folds, are those of an elegant and dashing courtier, whilst at the same time his expression bespeaks wisdom, intellect and charm. Breaking with the traditions of Tudor portraiture, which had previously governed the pictorial rhetoric of English painting, Van Dyck presents us with a man of character and personality. Endymion is portrayed clearly, conscious of his status and adornment, but not defined by them. With one hand resting on his hip and the other ambiguously pointing out of the composition, he stands before us, confident and reposed. Van Dyck's relationship with Endymion would later be given striking visual expression in 1633 when the artist portrayed himself alongside the courtier in a double portrait (Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid), in which the intimacy of their friendship is highlighted by their presence side-by-side (see fig. 1). Endymion was the only Englishman to receive such an honour.

In 1632, four years after the execution of the present painting and twelve years after his first visit, Van Dyck returned to England. There can be little doubt that Endymion was one of the key figures in persuading him to come back. Knighted by Charles I and given a pension of £200 per annum, the artist was given lodgings at Blackfriars, close to the Porter family home, where he lived almost continuously as Painter in Ordinary to the King until 1640. In 1619 Endymion had married Olivia Boteler, Buckingham's niece, thus strengthening his ties at court. The relationship appears to have been one of devoted adoration, and Endymion's many letters to Olivia, written during the endless periods of separation, whilst travelling on court duties, attest to the strength of his love and devotion. In Blackfriars the two families became close, and though it would be courteous to disregard contemporary rumour which suggested van Dyck shared his mistress with Endymion, especially in light of the latter's apparent devotion to his family, the story nevertheless illustrates the intimacy of their relationship, an affiliation with is given further weight by van Dyck's many tender and informal depictions of the Porter family (fig. 2).

Van Dyck's return to England can now be seen with the benefit of hindsight as the beginning of a revolution in English art. No doubt with Endymion's encouragement, Charles recognised this dynamic artist as very much as a modern Titian. Inspired by his experience in Madrid, he perceived in van Dyck the opportunity to create for himself what the Venetian master had achieved for the Hapsburgs over a century before. With Endymion as agent and intermediary, both artist and monarch set about developing a new vision of monarchy, distinct from previous incarnations. Between 1632 and 1634 van Dyck's brush gave visual expression to Charles's ideology of absolute monarch and divine rule. He created an iconography for the Stuart dynasty, and its attendant court, like nothing that had been seen in England before. In addition Charles acquired works by the great masters of European art at a prodigious rate, and by the time of his death the English Royal Collection was one of the most magnificent in history. At the heart of this cultural metamorphosis was the King's picture agent; Endymion Porter.

"Let there be Patrons; Patrons like Thee
Brave Porter! Poets neer will wanting be." Robert Herrick (1591-1674)



i. Barnes et al., lit.op.cit, p. 433
ii. Huxley, lit.op.cit., p. 97
iii. Huxley, lit.op.cit., p. 111
iv. Calendar State Papers Domestic, 1629/31, p. 216