John Smart (British, 1741-1811)

Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more

Details

John Smart (British, 1741-1811)
Joseph Sage (1758-1820), Assay Master at the Royal Mint
Signed with initials and dated 'J. S. / 1780' (lower left)
On ivory
Oval, 38 mm. high, in gilt-metal bracelet frame

Provenance

By family descent.
Mrs Arthur Shakespeare; Sotheby's, London, 8 June 1987, lot 115.
The Merchiston Collection, The Property of Mrs Eleanor Hamilton; Bonhams, London, 25 November 2009, lot 22.
With Judy & Brian Harden Antiques, in 2010.

Literature

D. Foskett, John Smart, the Man and his Miniatures, London, 1964, p. 73.
S. Lloyd, Portrait Miniatures from the Merchiston Collection, Edinburgh, 2005, p. 63, no. 23.

Exhibited

Edinburgh, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Portrait Miniatures from the Merchiston Collection, 2005, no. 23.

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Brought to you by

Peter Horwood

phorwood@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2359

Lot Essay

The sitter was the son of John Sage and Elizabeth Beresford. He worked for the Royal Mint for over 50 years as a moneyer. Between 1779 and 1820 he was Assay Master at the Royal Mint. He married, on 5 August 1779, Sarah Shakespear(e) (d. 1829), daughter of Adlerman John Shakespear(e) (1718-1775), a London rope maker, and Elizabeth Currie. They had 2 sons, Joseph and Richard. According to Foskett (supra), the sitter was also the father of Mrs Shakespear(e), whose husband, an M.P., was painted by Smart in 1787.

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