拍品专文
This shows the same gnarled Beech tree as in lot 114, seen from further round to the left. The rich colouring, heavy gouache, and form of signature are unprecedented for a date in the 1760s, which suggests that the apparent signature and the date '1765' were added later; for occasions when Sandby himself seems to have added erroneous inscriptions see P. Oppé, The Drawings of Paul and Thomas Sandby in the Collection of His Majesty The King at Windsor Castle, London, 1947, pp.2, 19, no.1, 22, no.15.
Drawings described as showing Beech trees in Luton Park by Paul Sandby were sold by Christie's in the artist's sales on 3 May 1811, lot 42 (a highly finished bodycolour drawing); 4 May 1811, lot 22 (in crayons, chalk, and bodycolour); 18 March 1812, lot 9; and 16 April 1817, lot 94 (two tinted drawings). Such drawings would have appealed to Lord Bute who was very interested in botany and natural history and was largely responsible for the early development of the Botanic Gardens at Kew.
For similar studies of ancient Beech trees see An Ancient Beech Tree (gouache, 26½ x 40in., signed and dated 1794) in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and A View of Old Shrewsbury Bridge, (gouache, 24½ x 18 3/8in., circa 1800) in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (L. Herrmann, Paul and Thomas Sandby, London, 1986, pp.58, 108, illustrated in colour and black and white, no.25 and fig.19 repectively). Further examples are the View in Windsor Castle (signed and dated 1796, 15 x 22½in.) (Oppé, op.cit., no.97) and Woodman asleep by the Trunk of an Old Beech Tree (signed and dated 1797, 25 x 17¾in.), sold at Christie's London, 16 June 1974, lot 73, illustrated.
The dancing dog is based on the same study as that used by Sandby for the so-called Romantic Landscape (signed and dated 1771, 19 x 24¾in.) sold anonymously at Sotheby's on 26 March 1975, lot 264.
Drawings described as showing Beech trees in Luton Park by Paul Sandby were sold by Christie's in the artist's sales on 3 May 1811, lot 42 (a highly finished bodycolour drawing); 4 May 1811, lot 22 (in crayons, chalk, and bodycolour); 18 March 1812, lot 9; and 16 April 1817, lot 94 (two tinted drawings). Such drawings would have appealed to Lord Bute who was very interested in botany and natural history and was largely responsible for the early development of the Botanic Gardens at Kew.
For similar studies of ancient Beech trees see An Ancient Beech Tree (gouache, 26½ x 40in., signed and dated 1794) in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and A View of Old Shrewsbury Bridge, (gouache, 24½ x 18 3/8in., circa 1800) in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (L. Herrmann, Paul and Thomas Sandby, London, 1986, pp.58, 108, illustrated in colour and black and white, no.25 and fig.19 repectively). Further examples are the View in Windsor Castle (signed and dated 1796, 15 x 22½in.) (Oppé, op.cit., no.97) and Woodman asleep by the Trunk of an Old Beech Tree (signed and dated 1797, 25 x 17¾in.), sold at Christie's London, 16 June 1974, lot 73, illustrated.
The dancing dog is based on the same study as that used by Sandby for the so-called Romantic Landscape (signed and dated 1771, 19 x 24¾in.) sold anonymously at Sotheby's on 26 March 1975, lot 264.