A lovely portrait comes on the market; Elizabeth Lady Forbes by the esteemed Joshua Reynolds

At Christie's Old Master British Paintings Evening Sale on Dec 4 in London, a portrait of Elizabeth Lady Forbes was sold by a private owner. All information contained here regarding the portrait, the image of the portrait and lot information, is courtesy of Christie's.

Portrait of Elizabeth, Lady Forbes (c. 1750-1802), half-length, in a white dress and a pink mantle, with feathers, ribbons and pearls in her hair

(Information provided by Christie's) This portrait of Lady Forbes has not been publicly exhibited since 1859 and has never previously been offered at auction, having descended in the sitter's family to the present owners.The eldest daughter of Sir James Hay M.D., Bt., of Haystoun, Peeblesshire, Elizabeth married the influential Edinburgh banker, Sir William Forbes, 6th Bt. of Monymusk (1739-1806), in 1770. Forbes was only four when he inherited the baronetcy, and later succeeded to the title and arms of Pitsligo in 1781, but declined the offer by Pitt of an Irish peerage in 1799 and also refused parliamentary seats. Articled to Coutts bank in Edinburgh at the age of fifteen, Forbes forged a career as one of the leading bankers of his age in Scotland, always paying tribute to the Coutts family as the architects of his success. ... A man of considerable wealth, Forbes was also a great philanthropist...

Forbes commissioned Reynolds to paint this arresting portrait of his wife, together with a portrait of himself, in circa 1775-6 (D. Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds: A Complete Catalogue of His Paintings, New Haven and London, 2000, I, p. 199, no. 657; II, fig. 1182). Untraced since it was exhibited in 1859, this painting was not included in the catalogue raisonné of the artist's work published by David Mannings in 2000. However, Professor Mannings and Martin Postle have independently confirmed the attribution and dated this portrait to circa 1775-6, the former on the basis of photographs and the latter on first-hand inspection of the painting. 

Gilbert Stuart studied under Benjamin West when he lived in London, but also took courses from Joshua Reynolds.  Reynolds was surely an inspiration to Stuart.

top Joshua Reynolds by Angelica Kauffmann (click for link)

bottom J. Reynolds by Gilbert Stuart

From Lawrence Park (on Stuart's portrait of Reynolds) 

This celebrated English portrait painter was born July 16, 1723, at Plympton, in Devonshire. His father was the Reverand Samuel Reynolds, and his mother, Theophila, daughter of Matthew Potter. Studied under Thomas Hudson in London from 1740 to 1743. In 1749 he went to Italy and lived for two years in Rome. In 1752 he returned, via Paris, to London, and his brilliant career of forty years followed. In 1768 he was one of the founders of the Royal Academy, London, and became its first president. The same year he was knighted.

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The portrait of Lady Forbes sold for $339,901.00.  According to the Wall St J Dec 8-9 2012 some works by Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony Van Dyck and Tintoretto were 'snubbed.'  I am sorry to say that I was not the one who was able to purchase this lovely portrait, the buyer remains unidentified.  I hope that the portrait is able to be shown to the public in the future, for it is stunning.  It is possible to see Reynolds' influence on Stuart's portrait style.  I wonder how the owner, supposedly a descendant, could part with it.

Swiss/Austrian painter and friend of Goethe; Angelika Kauffmann-- "The whole world is angelikamad!"... an unquestionable influence on GS

Portrait of Antonio Zucchi by Angelika Kauffmann, c. 1782

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Portrait of William Grant by Gilbert Stuart 1782 (in England) The Skater

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART Andrew W. Mellon Collection
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Anna Maria Angelika Catharina Kauffmann, self portrait in Wälder Tracht

Innsbruck, Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum

For more on Angelika's (Possible/Highly Likely) Influence on Stuart (compare Kauffmann's portrait of Joshua Reynolds & Stuart's portrait of Benjamin Waterhouse posts March 11/12) click here.

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In 1767 Angelika was caught up in an affair of the heart; she met and married an attractive elegant young man and quickly, rashly entered into a secret marriage. His name... 'Count Frederick de Horn'. After the marriage he insisted on taking over Kauffmann's financial affairs, she resisted and ultimately the marriage was undone when Frederick turned out to be an imposter.

In 1781, after the quick dissolution of this first marriage, Angelika wed the Venetian painter Antonio Zucchi (portrait above). The couple moved to the capital of the artworld, Rome. Her house on the Pincio, once inhabited by the painter Anton Raphael Mengs, became the social center of the European intellectual elite and bastion for lovers of art.

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"In den siebziger Jahren [1870s] war die Nachfrage [demand] nach Gemälde und Nachstichen Kauffmanns oder nach Kauffmannesken Motiven so überwältigend, dass der dänische Botschafter Schönborn am 19. Oktober 1781 am Klopstock schrieb [wrote]: "the whole world is angelicamad"; ein Satz, der längst zum geflügelten Wort geworden ist.....

IN ENGLAND erlangte Kauffmanns Kunst internationalen Verbreitungsgrad allein durch die zahlreichen Punktierstiche, die nach ihren Werken gefertigt wurden....." from "Angelika Kauffmann 1741-1807 'Eine Dichterin mit dem Pinsel" Verlag Gerd Hatje, Dusseldorf 1998 p 31

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"... die vielleicht cultivierteste Frau der Welt ...." Zeitgenosse Herder über Angelika Kauffmann

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Did Angelica...

Goethe in the Campagna; 1787 by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein

...paint Goethe? was the question by a commentator.

What I can recall, without spending oodles of time right now researching my books (I have a WONDERFUL exhibition book Angelika Kauffmann, 1741-1807 "Eine Dichterin mit dem Pinsel"~ [a poetess with a brush] is that yes she did, but neither Angelica nor Goethe were satisfied with the result, the result being that this painting is not well-known.
Portrait painting was considered to be the highest of the high in art, precisely because it is SO DIFFICULT to achieve a precise likeness of the sitter.

The painting that IS well known of Goethe is that done by Johann H. W. Tischbein pictured here (above), and I give the whole name of the painter (seen above image) because he stems from a painting family of Tischbeins.
Now, note carefully in this painting, Goethe's resemblance to The Skater by Stuart (see entry 2/1/09 & Goethe by Tischbein 2/7/09). Robust and healthy physique, contemplative, out enjoying nature, in Tischbein Goethe is taking a break from a long walk in the countryside of Rome, in Stuart William Grant is also "getting away from it all". Goethe in his early days in the small dukedom of Weimar, walked hill and dale, and loved it. Walking as a form of transportation was very common...
Tischbein met Goethe in 1786 in Italy, and these two also became good friends, travelling together, sketching and painting the Roman ruins.
[more on the Goethe and Charlotte von Stein story] Goethe loved this trip, but did not realize the extent of Charlotte's unhappiness that he left for the trip during the dark of night, without even telling her (thus she suffered the humiliation of not being able to tell her friends whither her intimate friend had gone), and then stayed away from Weimar for two years (which was unplanned). But Goethe needed this break, for perhaps he knew, that the relationship had .....no.....realistic future. But also the fact is Goethe had dreamed about this trip from the time he was a boy. So the perfect storm was reached, he left, and broke a ten year intimacy apart.

Angelica's influence?

Paul Revere by John Singleton Copely

Benjamin Waterhouse; 1775 by Gilbert Stuart; Redwood Library & Athenaeum, RI

This is one of Gilbert's earliest portraits, of his good friend in Newport RI Benjamin Waterhouse who went on to develop the smallpox vaccine introduced to America in 1800. It was painted in 1775 when Gibby was 20. According to Barratt & Miles in Gilbert Stuart p. 22 ...Stuart "studied his friend's face to a degree unprecedented in his previous work. He achieved a variety of flesh tones, glossy and matte areas on the complexion, and modelling of the head and adjacent hand, replete with folds and sinew, so convicingly that Waterhouse's cheek convincingly rests on his knuckles. Stuart mimicked Copely....." These authors then show the portrait of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copely, but I think the Copely portrait is not as.... simlar to Benjamin Waterhouse.....

as Angelica's portrait of Sir Joshua Reynolds (see below entry 3/11). Darn similar! The same positioning of the hand on the cheek, play of shadow and light, luminescence of the skin: The Copely portrait was done in 1769, and Angelica's 1767. Surely the portrait of Joshua Reynolds would be just as well known, if not more well known, than the Copely portrait? Perhaps Angelica had some ...influence?

Well, I am not an expert, but it sure is fun to speculate....

In my next entry (I think!), I will give the Provenance of Samuel Meeker. The provenance of a painting, aka history of ownership, is what helps to lend authenticity to a particular work.

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Angelica's Joshua

I felt it unfair to leave you with a rather unflattering image of an older Joshua Reynolds by GS (see entry just below this one 3/10), so here is a portrait of him as a younger man, by Angelica Kaufmann (at this time Gibby would only be 12 and living with family in Newport, RI). The similarity in facial features captured by both artists (Stuart/Kauffman) is striking, and the viewer is left reassured that ....this is what Sir Joshua Reynolds looked like! Note the appropriateness of the arrangement and accoutrements, the formality. This portrait 'pays proper respect' to the great artist. Now compare such qualities, to Stuart's portrait, and we might begin to understand why his picture was considered derogatory by the Monthly Magazine; or British Register. The critic wondered why the Royal Academy President "was depicted with a wig that was as tight and close as a hackney coachman's caxon, and in the act of taking a pinch of snuff." (from Gilbert Stuart, Barratt & Miles quoting from the Monthy Magazine; or British Register July 1804)

Joshua Reynolds; 1767 by Angelica Kauffman @ National Trust, England

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Angelica Kauffman is one of my favorite artists, and is a peer of all the characters that I have thus far mentioned-- born 1747 in Switzerland and raised in Austria. She lived many years in England, and was good friends with Sir Joshua Reynolds. She was the first female to be accepted into the Royal Academy. She subsequently moved back to Rome, at this time the mecca of the Art world ~~Benjamin West studied in Rome--it was the commonly accepted form of high art education; it is rumored that Angelica had a crush on Benjamin during his time there, but interest was not returned. Stuart scoffed at the fact that he had no experience in art education in Italy.~~ Angelica was popular and, rare for a female artist, earned a substantial income from her art. She was one of the first to perfect how to do fast portraits, to earn good income.

When Goethe ran away from his idealized lover Frau von Stein in 1786 (see entries 2/1,4,5,6,7/09), experiencing what he described as the dream of a lifetime in Rome, he and Angelica became the greatest of friends, sharing much time together studying art, composing poetry and enjoying the sights of Italy at this time. After Goethe returned to Weimar two years later, he took up with an unmarried young lady. This was a huge scandal, and correspondence between Angelica and Goethe soon dwindled to a stop.

Angelica was known for painting allegorical, mythological and historical subjects; from 1769 until 1782, she was an annual exhibitor at the Royal Academy. CW Peale named several of his children after great European artists including a daughter, Angelica Kauffman Peale.

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Angelica Kauffman; Self-Portrait, 1780-5; @ The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

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Goethe's love of nature is evident in his sketch of Schloss Kochberg, country estate of his mentor Charlotte von Stein

Charlotte von Stein was friend and patron of the young Goethe after his arrival in Weimar. She helped him gain entry into the "court", later their devotion to each other would transform into an idealized love. Goethe finally broke the increasingly smothering bonds of this relationship and took a two year trip to Italy. In Rome he spent much time with the celebrated young Swiss/Austrian artist Angelika Kauffmann. Angelika was reputed to have had a crush on Benjamin West, when he also was in that mecca of the art world, Rome.