Lot Essay
The sitter was the artist's wife, identified by Ralph Edwards in his 1934 Connoisseur article, though there is no comparative material on which to base this identification.
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Portrait of a Lady, traditionally identified as the artist's wife, half-length, in a black dress and large hat
Details
John Raphael Smith (1752-1812)
Portrait of a Lady, traditionally identified as the artist's wife, half-length, in a black dress and large hat
with inscription 'By = J.R. Smith/1752-1812/Mrs. J.R. Smith.' (on an old label attached to the backboard, according to the previous cataloguing)
pastel, oval
10½ x 8¾ in. (26.8 x 22.3 cm.)
Portrait of a Lady, traditionally identified as the artist's wife, half-length, in a black dress and large hat
with inscription 'By = J.R. Smith/1752-1812/Mrs. J.R. Smith.' (on an old label attached to the backboard, according to the previous cataloguing)
pastel, oval
10½ x 8¾ in. (26.8 x 22.3 cm.)
Provenance
The Rt. Hon. F. Leverton Harris, 1924.
Mrs Leverton Harris; Christie's, London, 8 June 1928, lot 26 as 'Portrait of a lady' (25 gns to Smith).
J. Thursby-Pelham.
Mrs. Guy Argles and by descent until
Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 7 November 1995, lot 69, where purchased by the present owner.
Mrs Leverton Harris; Christie's, London, 8 June 1928, lot 26 as 'Portrait of a lady' (25 gns to Smith).
J. Thursby-Pelham.
Mrs. Guy Argles and by descent until
Anonymous sale; Christie's, London, 7 November 1995, lot 69, where purchased by the present owner.
Literature
R. Edwards, 'J.R. Smith and his Pupils', Connoisseur, XCIII, February 1934, p. 97.
Special notice
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.