A PAIR OF GEORGE II IRISH EMBOSSED BIRD-PICTURES by Samuel Dixon in basso relievo, one depicting a goldfinch with honeysuckle, ranunculus, woodbine, blue lark-heel and other flowers with an orange butterfly beyond, the other depicting a canary with anenomes, narcissi and hyacinths, in black and gilt-japanned frames, one frame part-18th Century, the former with dedicatory label to The Duchess of Dorset, the latter with dedicatory label to The Countess of Cork, restorations, each with label to the reverse Given to me by Desmond/Coke.Date Charles II/Raised with/Gesso.By Dixon KGH and similar/ones at/Kew/Palace

Details

A PAIR OF GEORGE II IRISH EMBOSSED BIRD-PICTURES by Samuel Dixon in basso relievo, one depicting a goldfinch with honeysuckle, ranunculus, woodbine, blue lark-heel and other flowers with an orange butterfly beyond, the other depicting a canary with anenomes, narcissi and hyacinths, in black and gilt-japanned frames, one frame part-18th Century, the former with dedicatory label to The Duchess of Dorset, the latter with dedicatory label to The Countess of Cork, restorations, each with label to the reverse Given to me by Desmond/Coke.Date Charles II/Raised with/Gesso.By Dixon KGH and similar/ones at/Kew/Palace
The goldfinch 17¼ x 21in. (44 x 53.5cm.)
The canary 18¼ x 21¾in. (46.5 x 55cm.)

Lot Essay

Both these picture are from Dixon's 1755 set of Foreign and Domestick Birds. There are twelve pictures in a complete set of which the goldfinch is no.5 and the canary no.10 (see: Longfield, 1975, p.131 and fig.12).
A complete set was sold from the collection of Lady Olivia Waldron, in these Rooms, 9 April 1992, lot 31. An example of the canary picture was exhibited, London, Sotheby's, The Glory of the Garden, Royal Horticultural Society, 1987, no.136.

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