Portrait of Sir John Wrottesley Bt. (1744-1787), full-length in a red coat, leaning on a wall

Details

DANIEL GARDNER, A.R.A. (KENDAL 1750-1805 LONDON)
Portrait of Sir John Wrottesley Bt. (1744-1787), full-length in a red coat, leaning on a wall
pencil, pastel and bodycolour
22 3/4 x 19 3/4 in. (57.8 x 50.2 cm.)

Provenance

The sitter, and by descent to his sister,
Elizabeth Wrottesley and by descent to
Richard John Wrottesley, 5th Baron Wrottesley, and by descent to
Lady Mary Wrottesley, South Africa.

Literature

probably G. Wrottesley, History of the family of Wrottesley, Stafford, 1903, p. 361.
N. Jeffares, Dictionary of pastellists, online edition, no. J.338.18057.

Special notice

This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Annabel Kishor Specialist

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Lot Essay

The present drawing has long held an identification as Augustus Henry Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of Grafton (1735-1811), due to its descent in the Wrottesley family, via his second wife, Elizabeth. However, the sitter is wearing the undress uniform of a Foot Guard, and Fitzroy did not have a military career. It is more likely that the sitter is Elizabeth's brother, Sir John Wrottesley Bt., who served in the 1st Foot Guards in the 1770’s and 1780’s. A reference to a portrait of Sir John at Wrottesley in the uniform of the Foot Guards in G. Wrottesley, History of the family of Wrottesley, 1903, p. 361, is probably this picture.

We are grateful to Neil Jeffares and Christopher Bryant for their help in preparing this catalogue entry.

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