Lot Essay
The original painting by Giandomenico Tiepolo is in the collection of the Museo del Prado, Madrid.
Sargent visited Spain in 1879-80 where he concentrated on copying the work of Velásquez.
Henry Tonks was a close friend of Sargent. They were both exhibitors at the New English Art Club and official War Artists during the First World War, serving in Arras. Sargent was a keen admirer of Tonks's work. Tonks later recalled Sargent's hospitality and good humour: 'I was introduced to his mother and sister by Steer, and was invited to Mrs. Sargent's flat (as it was then was) in Carlyle Mansions to dinner, very often now it seems to me, looking back, where I spent some of the happiest evenings of my life. Sargent was generally there and I have a feeling that those who were not fortunate enough to meet him at those dinners missed the best of him'.
(see E. Charteris, John Sargent, New York, 1927, pp.169-70)
We are very grateful to Richard Ormond and Elaine Kilmurray for their help in cataloguing this lot which will be included in the forthcoming J.S. Sargent catalogue raisonné by Richard Ormond and Elaine Kilmurray, in collaboration with Warren Adelson and Elizabeth Oustinoff.
Sargent visited Spain in 1879-80 where he concentrated on copying the work of Velásquez.
Henry Tonks was a close friend of Sargent. They were both exhibitors at the New English Art Club and official War Artists during the First World War, serving in Arras. Sargent was a keen admirer of Tonks's work. Tonks later recalled Sargent's hospitality and good humour: 'I was introduced to his mother and sister by Steer, and was invited to Mrs. Sargent's flat (as it was then was) in Carlyle Mansions to dinner, very often now it seems to me, looking back, where I spent some of the happiest evenings of my life. Sargent was generally there and I have a feeling that those who were not fortunate enough to meet him at those dinners missed the best of him'.
(see E. Charteris, John Sargent, New York, 1927, pp.169-70)
We are very grateful to Richard Ormond and Elaine Kilmurray for their help in cataloguing this lot which will be included in the forthcoming J.S. Sargent catalogue raisonné by Richard Ormond and Elaine Kilmurray, in collaboration with Warren Adelson and Elizabeth Oustinoff.