Sir James Jebusa Shannon R.A., R.B.A., R.H.A. Portrait of Marjorie Merriweather Post
Sir James Jebusa Shannon R.A., R.B.A., R.H.A.
British
1862 - 1923
Portrait of Marjorie Merriweather Post
signed and dated J. J. Shannon/ 1907 (lower right)
oil on canvas
canvas: 56 by 45 1/4 in.; 142 by 115 cm
framed: 66 by 54 1/2 in.; 167 by 138.5 cm
Condition Report:
This work is in excellent condition. It is restored, installed in its period frame, and show be hung in its current state. The canvas has been lined with Beva-371. The paint layer is stable. The work might still be dirty, but as it has a sensitive paint layer that is completely unabraded, cleaning is not necessarily recommended. The work certainly looks very presentable in its current condition. The condition is excellent with no retouches throughout the figure including the face, arms, and hands. There are restorations addressing what may be a break in the canvas running about 3 by 2 inches in the upper left corner. There is a small restoration addressing a thin break in the canvas in the very dark color next to the lace shawl beneath the shoulder on the left. A complex and thin line of restorations running about 8 inches long, which probably addresses a thin break in the canvas, can be seen in the lower center in the lighter-colored folds of the dress. There is another thin break in the canvas that has received restorations on the bottom edge in the lower left, running about 6 inches in total. All of the restorations are good, and can only be seen when the work is viewed under ultraviolet light. None of these retouches are visible to the naked eye. Despite the restorations, the condition of the work is very good.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note:
A New York State native, James Jebusa Shannon moved as a child to Canada and later to to England, where he studied at the South Kensington School of Art under Sir Edward Poynter. He quickly established himself as a successful portrait painter thanks to commissions from Queen Victoria in 1880 and 1881. Subsequent success at the Royal Academy secured him a firm position as one of the leading society portrait painters and full memberships in the Royal Academy, Royal Society of British Artists and Royal Hibernian Academy, due to his Irish descent.
Marjorie Merriweather Post was 20 years old at the time of this portrait. Heiress to the Post fortune, which included General Foods Corporation, she was a a philanthropist and significant collector of Russian art, as well as a fixture on the social circuit in the United States. Dating from 1907, the present work is possibly the earliest portrait of Ms. Post, showing her in a black dress decorated with an abundant lace collar after the fashion of the early 20th century. Her soft gaze and innocent smile betray her youth and will later be replaced by a firm and confident poise of a worldly business woman.
This painting is being offered in a carved Carrig-Rohane frame, signed, dated and numbered 1907/ Carrig Rohane/ 442.
Provenance:
R. Thornton Wilson
His sale: Christie's, New York, 30 October 1992, lot 285 (as Portrait of a Lady)
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Sir James Jebusa Shannon R.A., R.B.A., R.H.A.
British
1862 - 1923
Portrait of Marjorie Merriweather Post
signed and dated J. J. Shannon/ 1907 (lower right)
oil on canvas
canvas: 56 by 45 1/4 in.; 142 by 115 cm
framed: 66 by 54 1/2 in.; 167 by 138.5 cm
Condition Report:
This work is in excellent condition. It is restored, installed in its period frame, and show be hung in its current state. The canvas has been lined with Beva-371. The paint layer is stable. The work might still be dirty, but as it has a sensitive paint layer that is completely unabraded, cleaning is not necessarily recommended. The work certainly looks very presentable in its current condition. The condition is excellent with no retouches throughout the figure including the face, arms, and hands. There are restorations addressing what may be a break in the canvas running about 3 by 2 inches in the upper left corner. There is a small restoration addressing a thin break in the canvas in the very dark color next to the lace shawl beneath the shoulder on the left. A complex and thin line of restorations running about 8 inches long, which probably addresses a thin break in the canvas, can be seen in the lower center in the lighter-colored folds of the dress. There is another thin break in the canvas that has received restorations on the bottom edge in the lower left, running about 6 inches in total. All of the restorations are good, and can only be seen when the work is viewed under ultraviolet light. None of these retouches are visible to the naked eye. Despite the restorations, the condition of the work is very good.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note:
A New York State native, James Jebusa Shannon moved as a child to Canada and later to to England, where he studied at the South Kensington School of Art under Sir Edward Poynter. He quickly established himself as a successful portrait painter thanks to commissions from Queen Victoria in 1880 and 1881. Subsequent success at the Royal Academy secured him a firm position as one of the leading society portrait painters and full memberships in the Royal Academy, Royal Society of British Artists and Royal Hibernian Academy, due to his Irish descent.
Marjorie Merriweather Post was 20 years old at the time of this portrait. Heiress to the Post fortune, which included General Foods Corporation, she was a a philanthropist and significant collector of Russian art, as well as a fixture on the social circuit in the United States. Dating from 1907, the present work is possibly the earliest portrait of Ms. Post, showing her in a black dress decorated with an abundant lace collar after the fashion of the early 20th century. Her soft gaze and innocent smile betray her youth and will later be replaced by a firm and confident poise of a worldly business woman.
This painting is being offered in a carved Carrig-Rohane frame, signed, dated and numbered 1907/ Carrig Rohane/ 442.
Provenance:
R. Thornton Wilson
His sale: Christie's, New York, 30 October 1992, lot 285 (as Portrait of a Lady)
Estimate
Time, Location
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