Two studies of a gentleman in a frock coat and tricorn hat

Iolo Williams saw fit to open his history of 18th Century watercolour painting with a mention of the Flemish painter Peter Tillemans, (I. A. Williams, Early English Watercolours, 1952, p. 13). The drawing may be identified with Tillemans on the basis of its similarity with a number of other studies including one of the First Duke of Kingston (Christie's, London, 15 November 1983, lot 33) for Tillemans' painting The Duke of Kingston in the Park of Thoresby Hall, Ollerton (photograph, Witt Library). Another Tillemans drawing, a hunting scene, shows a similar handling of grey wash (Bonham's, London, 6 February 2007, lot 3). Tillemans was the son of an Antwerp diamond-cutter and came to England in 1708 with his brother-in-law Peter Casteels (1684-1749), the artist who specialised in the painting of birds and flowers. Tillemans was originally employed as a copyist of the work of Teniers and others, but progressed as an artist in his own right after attending Kneller's Academy in London. In 1725 he was a painter of sufficient stature in London to be appointed Steward to the Society of Virtuosi of St Luke.

Among other works on paper by Tillemans the most important collection is the set of over two hundred ink drawings (now in the British Library) intended for John Bridges' History of Northamptonshire, and a small group of drawings of Wrest Park, now deposited in the Bedfordshire Record Office. The Northamptonshire drawings are mainly topographical, but the grey wash technique, and the use of strong shadows to give a firm grounding to features within the composition, are common characteristics which are also seen in this drawing. Where figures do appear the dark dots that signify eyes and nose are again paralleled in our study.