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Lot Essay
Until recently the present miniature was thought to be a copy of a pastel by Maurice Quentin de La Tour (1704-1788), now in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (inv. PG2954), but the recent re-identification of the sitter in the La Tour portrait from Prince Charles to his brother Henry, has prompted a re-examination of the source of the present miniature. It is now thought to derive from another pastel by La Tour of Prince Charles circa 1747-8, exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1748 as no. 80 'le prince Edouard', and whose current location is unknown. This theory is supported by the existence of a contemporary engraving by Michel Aubert (1704-1757) inscribed 'De la Tour pinx. / M. Aubert Sc.' and the sitter shown facing the opposite direction and identified with the inscription 'Carolus Walliae / Princeps . . .', which is almost identical to the present miniature (see J. Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery, London, 1977, II, illustrated pl. 119).
George Waters was Prince Charles's banker in Paris and his accounts show a payment of 1,200 livres from Prince Charles to La Tour on 13 January 1749. Waters was the custodian of the La Tour pastel during the period between the Prince's arrest in December 1748 and shortly after March 1752 when Waters is asked by the Prince to 'get my picture by La Tour packed up carefully by La Tour himself' (see C. Stuart-Wortley's extracts from the Stuart Papers, IV, p. 4). Although no specific mention of Kamm has been located in the correspondence in the Stuart Papers held in the Royal Archives, C. Stuart-Wortley's extracts from the Stuart Papers states: “In the year 1749, George Waters writes to Charles about copies of his portraits being made by Jean Daniel Kemm [sic]. Copies presumably from the La Tour portrait.” (V, p. 4). According to her manuscript, the La Tour pastel was last heard of in Florence in 1785 (IV, p. 4).
Three other versions of the present miniature are currently known: one, signed and dated 'J. Kamm 1750' is in the D. Nicholas Collection (see D. Nicholas, The Portraits of Bonnie Prince Charlie, Maidstone, 1973, illustrated p. 35, fig. C); an oval version was sold Christie's, London, 10 December 2002, lot 52; a further oval version was exhibited Edinburgh, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Portrait Miniatures from Scottish Private Collections, 2006, no. 43. J. Kerslake, op. cit., I, p. 40 records a miniature 'After Maurice Quentin de La Tour' in the Royal Stuart Exhibition, Edinburgh, 1949, lent by Denys Bower of Chiddingstone Castle.
A signed miniature of the same sitter by Kamm of a different type to the present lot, derives from a painting by Louis Tocqué (1696-1772). Its current location is unrecorded and is known through a contemporary engraving by Jean Georges Wille (1715-1808) now in the National Portrait Gallery, London (inv. no. NPG D32668), The miniature was offered Christie's, Glasgow, The Jacobites and their Adversaries, 12 June 1996, lot 101, set into a glazed commemorative case containing relics of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Another signed version is pictured on the front cover and as fig. 3 of P. Pininski, Bonnie Prince Charlie. A life, Stroud, 2012 (now in a private collection).
Little is known about the elusive Jean Daniel Kamm. He is established as a metalworker and medallist in Strasbourg and the British Museum has a signed medal by him which depicts Philippe Frédéric Dietrich, mayor of Strasbourg (inv. no. 1947,0607.596). It has been suggested that the artist behind the present and corresponding miniatures may in fact be another Strasbourg artist, Jean-Frédéric Kamm, possibly a brother of Jean Daniel Kamm.
We are indebted to Prof. Edward Corp, Neil Jeffares and Peter Pininksi for their assistance in the preparation of this catalogue entry.
George Waters was Prince Charles's banker in Paris and his accounts show a payment of 1,200 livres from Prince Charles to La Tour on 13 January 1749. Waters was the custodian of the La Tour pastel during the period between the Prince's arrest in December 1748 and shortly after March 1752 when Waters is asked by the Prince to 'get my picture by La Tour packed up carefully by La Tour himself' (see C. Stuart-Wortley's extracts from the Stuart Papers, IV, p. 4). Although no specific mention of Kamm has been located in the correspondence in the Stuart Papers held in the Royal Archives, C. Stuart-Wortley's extracts from the Stuart Papers states: “In the year 1749, George Waters writes to Charles about copies of his portraits being made by Jean Daniel Kemm [sic]. Copies presumably from the La Tour portrait.” (V, p. 4). According to her manuscript, the La Tour pastel was last heard of in Florence in 1785 (IV, p. 4).
Three other versions of the present miniature are currently known: one, signed and dated 'J. Kamm 1750' is in the D. Nicholas Collection (see D. Nicholas, The Portraits of Bonnie Prince Charlie, Maidstone, 1973, illustrated p. 35, fig. C); an oval version was sold Christie's, London, 10 December 2002, lot 52; a further oval version was exhibited Edinburgh, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Portrait Miniatures from Scottish Private Collections, 2006, no. 43. J. Kerslake, op. cit., I, p. 40 records a miniature 'After Maurice Quentin de La Tour' in the Royal Stuart Exhibition, Edinburgh, 1949, lent by Denys Bower of Chiddingstone Castle.
A signed miniature of the same sitter by Kamm of a different type to the present lot, derives from a painting by Louis Tocqué (1696-1772). Its current location is unrecorded and is known through a contemporary engraving by Jean Georges Wille (1715-1808) now in the National Portrait Gallery, London (inv. no. NPG D32668), The miniature was offered Christie's, Glasgow, The Jacobites and their Adversaries, 12 June 1996, lot 101, set into a glazed commemorative case containing relics of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Another signed version is pictured on the front cover and as fig. 3 of P. Pininski, Bonnie Prince Charlie. A life, Stroud, 2012 (now in a private collection).
Little is known about the elusive Jean Daniel Kamm. He is established as a metalworker and medallist in Strasbourg and the British Museum has a signed medal by him which depicts Philippe Frédéric Dietrich, mayor of Strasbourg (inv. no. 1947,0607.596). It has been suggested that the artist behind the present and corresponding miniatures may in fact be another Strasbourg artist, Jean-Frédéric Kamm, possibly a brother of Jean Daniel Kamm.
We are indebted to Prof. Edward Corp, Neil Jeffares and Peter Pininksi for their assistance in the preparation of this catalogue entry.