GEORGE HENRY HARLOW* (1787-1819)

THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE COLLECTOR

Details

GEORGE HENRY HARLOW* (1787-1819)

The Proposal: "Observe her Eyes; the flattering Tale's believed"

oil on canvas
36¼ x 28in. (92.1 x 71.1cm.)

Provenance

Sir John Fleming Leicester, Bt., by 1819
by descent through Lord de Tabley to Cuthbert Leicester Warren; Christie's, May 20, 1927, lot 37, (2100gns. to Arthur Tooth)
John Levy, 1928

Literature

W. Carey, Catalogue of Pictures by British Artists, in the Collection of Sir John Leicester, Bt., 1819, p. 25, no. 41
W. Carey, Descriptive Catalogue of a Collection of Paintings by British Artists, in the possession of Sir John Fleming Leicester Bt., 1819, pp. 110-1, no. 41
W. Young, Catalogue of Pictures by British Artists in the possession of Sir John Fleming Leicester, Bt., 1821, p. 2, no. 4, illustrated
S. Redgrave, Dictionary of Artists of the English School, 1878 ed., p. 198
D. Hall, The Tabley House Papers, Walpole Society, XXXVIII, 1962, pp. 71 and 115
P. Cannon-Brookes, ed., Paintings from Tabley, Exhibition Catalogue, London, Heim Gallery, Oct.-Nov. 1989, p. 72

Exhibited

Manchester, Art Treasures, 1857, no. 166

Engraved

H. Meyer
J. Thompson

Lot Essay

The present picture formed part of the important collection of contemporary or near-contemporary British paintings formed by Sir John Fleming Leicester, Bt., for which he built a gallery at his London house in order to make it available to the public.

William Carey (loc. cit.) describes it as representing 'three Belles deciding upon a question of very delicate interest.... a third, in the right corner, holds an open letter, which contains the important matter in debate, being nothing less than the offer of a hand and fortune in matrimony. ...the picture is a gay sport of tasteful fancy; it will always give pleasure to a lively circle, and form an agreeable variety in a collection.'

On February 22, 1820, following Harlow's death, John P. Thompson wrote to Sir John Leicester offering him the painting of Congratulations as a companion to The Proposal already in his collection, and a receipt for its purchase at 80gns. was signed on February 25 (Hall loc. cit.). The former was accompanied by the text, 'Nay turn not those dewy eyes away, The tender truth is now revealed', and shows two girls. It is larger than The Proposal, measuring 41 x 32in., and was also sold at Christie's, London, May 20, 1927, lot 36, and subsequently on June 22, 1979, lot 130, Nov. 22, 1979, lot 159, and Nov. 22, 1985, lot 127A