Beschreibung:

Attributed to Gainsborough Dupont (1754-1797) - 'Sketch portrait of Greenwood the Auctioneer when at the age of thirty', pencil and chalk study on grey paper, later hand titled in ink to the base of the paper and with further pencil attribution 'Drawn by Thomas Gainsborough', and annotation to the mount stating 'From the coll of Gainsborough Dupont (the artists nephew) see back of drawing. From the coll of the late Arthur Kay Esq', the reverse of the drawing with pencil annotation 'AIE Drawn by T Gainsborough, bought at Gainsborough Dupont's sale 1797', 26 x 41.5cm. Provenance: This painting is purported to have been lot 30 in Christie's sale 'Drawings by T Gainsborough RA and other English Painters - The Property of Arthur Kay Esquire' of 23rd May 1930, where it was catalogued as being by T. Gainsborough and coming from the collection of Sir Herbert Jerningham. It is also stated that this drawing was included in the Gainsborough Memorial Exhibition at Ipswich in 1929. In 2008, Bateman's Auctioneers attributed this drawing to Gainsborough Dupont after consultation with British art specialist Anthony Mould and Agnews Fine Art dealers. Upon Gainsborough Dupont’s death in 1797, much of his collection was sold by Christie’s in London and at local sales in the Gainsborough’s home town of Sudbury. There is ongoing debate that some of the works attributed to Thomas Gainsborough may have actually been drawn or at least finished by his nephew. Further notes of interest: There was an auctioneer by the name of John Greenwood (1727-1792) who had auction rooms in Leicester Square and was apparently well acquainted with many of the London based artists. Thomas Gainsborough (1727-1788) painted his friend the auctioneer James Christie in 1778 (in the Getty collection). Arthur Kay (1860-1939) was a prolific art collector and critic, and the author of Treasure Trove in Art published 1939.