Attributed to George Richmond (1809-1896) after Thomas Gainsbourgh (1727-1788) oil on canvas - Portrait of Gainsborough Dupont (1754-1797)

Attributed to George Richmond (1809-1896) after Thomas Gainsbourgh (1727-1788) oil on canvas - Portrait of Gainsborough Dupont (1754-1797), monogrammed, 46cm x 36cm, in gilt frame. A Phillips label verso stating 'Property of Nicholas Wadham Esq.' NB: this work was previously inspected by Hugh Belsey MBE, the authority on Thomas Gainsborough. He states: “This portrait is a copy of the romanticised portrait in The Tate of Thomas Gainsborough’s nephew, Gainsborough Dupont (Belsey 287). I have traced six copies of this painting and there may well be more. As I mentioned, your mother-in-law must have shown me the canvas in 1994 when I was at Gainsborough House and it appears as an unattributed copy in my catalogue as No. 287d.” The Tates portrait was owned by the 19th century artist George Richmond from at least 1856 and it appeared in his posthumous sale at Christies on 1st May 1897. Richmond was a great admirer of Gainsborough’s work. He also owned a portrait of Lady Mary Bowlby (Belsey 96) which is now in the collection at Deene Park in Northamptonshire and the portrait of Lady Lucy Douglas, attributed to Gainsborough by Ellis Waterhouse in his monograph of 1958 ( p63 No 205), is very probably by Richmond working in the style of Gainsborough (Belsey R12) ….” Mr Belsey goes on to say the Gainsborough Dupont portrait “… is of fine quality and I suspect it is a copy by George Richmond, and he was using it as a practical examination of Gainsborough’s remarkable technique.Condition Report Very good presentable condition, ready to hang. The canvas has been lined and areas of paint restoration have been carried out by a professional. The frame is in very good condition with only a few minor knocks.