JOHN SMART (BRITISH, 1742/1743-1811)

Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more

Details

JOHN SMART (BRITISH, 1742/1743-1811)
William Domville, in dark blue coat with gold buttons, white waistcoat pleated jabot and knotted cravat, short powdered hair
signed with initials and dated 'J S / 1807' (lower right)
on ivory
oval, 3¼ in. (84 mm.) high, gold frame, silver reverse engraved 'W^{m<\sup> Domville Esq. / Painted / by John Smart / November / 1807'}

Provenance

With A. Staal, Amsterdam, by 1929.
The Property of a Dutch Collector; Christie's, London, 21 February 1961, lot 84 (part lot, together with a miniature by John Smart of Maria 'Donville', signed and dated 1807; 360 gns. to Woollett).
With Captain Charles Woollett, London, by 1963 (with Woollett trade label on reverse).
Christie's, London, 15 June 1982, lot 93.
Sotheby's, London, 9 April 1992, lot 165.

Literature

Antiques Dealers Fair Catalogue, London, 1961, illustrated.
R. Lister, The Miniature Defined, Cambridge, 1963, illustrated pl. V (together with a portrait of the sitter's wife).
D. Foskett, John Smart, The Man and his Miniatures, London, 1964, p. 66 (as William 'Donville').

Exhibited

Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, Oude Kunst, 1929, no. 1336 (lent by A. Staal).

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Brought to you by

Katharine Cooke

kcooke@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2343

Lot Essay

The sitter, traditionally identified as William Domville, is most likely Sir William Domville, 2nd Bt. (b. 1774), son of Sir William Domville, 1st Bt. (1742-1833). In 1807, he married Maria, daughter of Isaac Solly, Esq., with whom he had seven children. This portrait dates from the same year as his marriage, as does that of his wife, and may therefore have been painted as a wedding portrait.

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