Francesco Renaldi (c.1755-1799)

Francesco Renaldi (c.1755-1799) was an English-born painter of Italian heritage. In 1786 he travelled to India, spending 10 years there, living and working in Calcutta, Lucknow and Dacca (now the capital city of Bangladesh). He was one of only a relatively small number of European painters - among them William Hodges, Johan Zoffany, Tilly Kettle and Ozias Humphrey - who spent extended periods painting portraits of and for the nabobs (English, Scottish and Anglo-Irish gentleman of the East India Company), as well as local rulers such as Asaf ud-Daulah, the Nawab Wazir of Oudh. Mildred Archer, in her book 'India and British Portraiture: 1770–1825', describes Renaldi as "one of the most sensitive portrait painters to work in India during the late eighteenth century."⁠ ⁠

In our auction, we are pleased to present Francesco Renaldi’s recently rediscovered Portrait of Mrs. William Douglas, née Jane Bell, and Her Son Philip in an Indian Interior (Lot 123). This work is one of only a dozen works by Renaldi, painted during his time in India between 1786 and 1796, currently known.⁠

John Hayter (1800-1891)

We are thrilled to present this highly engaging painting by British artist John Hayter (1800-1891) as Lot 103. This remarkable work, coming to light after more than 100 years of obscurity, captures Hayter's friend, Sir Edwin Landseer - perhaps England's greatest ever animal painter - at around 20 years of age. Landseer is in the process of creating one of his early masterpieces, 'The Larder Invaded (1822)'. He is shown seated at his easel, where that picture is positioned. In the foreground another young man - most probably John Hayter himself - is urging a dog to provoke a cat, which is perched defensively on the right-hand margin of the composition.⁠ ⁠

Landseer's paintings, hugely popular in his lifetime are still recognized today, but his own image is less well-known. Those images which are in the public sphere tend to show him in his pomp as a middle or late-middle aged man. However, images of Landseer as a young man are not at all common and a full exhibition picture of him in his early days - and at his easel painting - is a considerable rarity. That the artist at the easel is Landseer is easily demonstrated. Not only does it look like him, as early pencil sketches of him by both John and George Hayter show, but of course the work on the easel in this picture is clearly his 'Larder Invaded' - the picture that propelled the young Landseer to fame.⁠

William Etty (British 1787-1849)

This portrait by British artist William Etty (Lot 101) depicts the actor and theatre manager, William Charles Macready (1793-1873). Macready, who was known for his Shakespearian roles, is shown here apparently in the role of Hamlet. Macready played Hamlet on numerous occasions during his successful and lengthy career, first performing the role in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1811, when he was just eighteen years old. He took on the role again in Bath in 1814, and made his London debut at Covent Garden theatre as Hamlet in 1821. He was later to reprise the role in Paris to great acclaim in 1827 and 1844. Macready was famously hissed by his American counterpart, Edwin Forrest, whilst playing the protagonist in Edinburgh. This sparked a rivalry which came to emblematise Anglo-American social and class tensions that climaxed in the explosive 'Macready Riots' of 1849 at Astor Place, New York. Given the centrality of Macready's Hamlet to the international controversy, it was natural that the actor should want to portray himself confidently embodying the role.⁠

Macready and William Etty met when travelling in Italy in the 1820s and remained close friends after this chance encounter. Etty (1787-1849) was the only important British painter before the 20th century to have dedicated his career to painting the nude and semi-nude. He was successful during his lifetime despite the censure of the press who accused him of indecency. His reputation was such that he was elected an associate of The Royal Academy (ARA) in 1824 and a full academician (RA) in 1828.

Frans Francken The Younger (Flemish 1581-1642)

Beneath a tempestuous sky bathed in a silvery glow, sea creatures, mermaids, river gods, and tritons parade to celebrate the union of Neptune and Amphitrite. Here we have this work The Triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite by Frans Francken The Younger (Lot 4). The story follows that Amphitrite, a nereid and daughter of Nereus, initially rejected Neptune's marriage proposal and sought to avoid him, finding refuge in the farthest reaches of the ocean. However, Neptune sent dolphins to find her, convincing her to accept his proposal-a mission later honoured with the creation of the star constellation Delphinus.

Frans Francken achieved significant success during his lifetime. His versatile talent allowed him to work in various genres, from religious themes to mythological subjects, inspiring artists such as Jan Bruegel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens. The triumph of Neptune and Amphitrite was a subject treated by the artist frequently, with different variations of the composition. 

This painting's provenance is notable, likely remaining uninterrupted until its auction at Sotheby's. The Croÿ family, a prominent force in the Southern Netherlands, Burgundy, and France in the 17th century, held high positions under Spanish rule. Their patronage of the arts was equally influential. In the 15th century, they amassed an extraordinary collection of manuscripts, later acquired by Margaret of Austria. Charles III de Croÿ, Duke of Croÿ and Prince of Chimay, built a vast collection of paintings, jewels, and manuscripts, including eleven works attributed to Veronese. The family also had ties to the Arenberg family, renowned art patrons and collectors in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is believed that this work had been in their collection from the 17th century, up until it was sold at auction in 2005.

Francesco Marmitta (Italian 1464-1505)

Francesco Marmitta, primarily known as a goldsmith, crystal carver, and illuminator, is regarded as the leading painter in Parma before Correggio. Here we have Lot 15, an oil on panel by Marmitta, titled Madonna and child with a Holy Bishop. His panel paintings are rare, with the Madonna and Child between San Benedetto and San Quintino in the Louvre being the only known example that shares similar characteristics.

Set against a clear sky with minimal landscape, the figures are like apparitions in a metaphysical blue background. The Madonna of Humility, shown with bare feet and holding a book, is accompanied by an unidentified bishop saint reading from a missal. It is likely that the panel originally featured another saint on the left, as suggested by a visible hand and the Christ Child's upward gaze. The panel may also have been taller, extending the presence of the blue sky.

Painted between 1500 and Marmitta's death in 1505, this work anticipates sixteenth-century styles, particularly in the Madonna's contrapposto pose, with her figure balanced by an outstretched arm. This movement evokes Leonardo da Vinci's Cartoon of the Virgin and Child with St. Anne (c. 1502), which Marmitta may have encountered. Furthermore, the light subtly illuminating the figures reflects Marmitta's experience as an illuminator, while the intense plasticity of the drapery evokes the early work of Michelangelo, whom Marmitta may have encountered during his time in Bologna, where he worked on the Ark of Saint Domenico.

Like the Louvre panel, this painting displays tubular drapery folds and bold, juxtaposed colours, reflecting Marmitta's background in metalwork and miniature painting. Contrary to the Louvre panel, however, this painting lacks an architectural setting, arranging the figures on a flat plane. This change could be attributed to Marmitta's exposure to Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio's 1500 altarpiece for Girolamo Casio in the Misericordia in Bologna, also now housed in the Louvre.

Walter Crane (British 1845 - 1915)

A figurehead of the Aesthetic and Arts and Crafts Movements, Walter Crane sought to restore the primacy of public painting, akin to Renaissance mural decoration. By synthesising the fine and decorative arts, Crane's practice deconstructed the traditional hierarchy to create cohesive and harmonious visual schemes. The present work, Summer (Lot 220), unites the symbolic and the ornamental, by placing an allegorical figure against a rich backdrop of buoyant daisies and dandelions, reminiscent of Crane's 'Meadow Flowers' design from the following year.

The scene is imbued with the abundance and soporific warmth of the season, draped in diaphanous white robes, the alluring figure of Summer languishes on a soft bed of marguerites. There is a psychological charge to the figure's serene stillness. Surrounded by minutely detailed flora, Crane creates a sensual atmosphere of suspended time, in which the figure and the natural world exist in a state of quiet equilibrium.

Richard Paton (British 1717-1791)

Highlighted here is Lot 349, a depiction of a key incident in George III's review of the fleet at Portsmouth, 22-25 June 1773. The painting by Richard Paton commemorates the honours conferred on Pye as commander-in-chief at Portsmouth and in overall operational charge of the 1773 review. The King is on board the Barfleur, shown flying the Royal Standard at the main, the Admiralty flag at the foremast and the Union flag at the mizzen. This was a 90-gun, second-rate ship of the line which was to enjoy a distinguished career in the War of American Independence (1775-83) and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1793- 1815). At this time, however, it was Pye's Portsmouth flagship, from which he had been displaced for the period of the royal visit into the 74-gun Royal Oak, seen to the right.

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Auction Details

Tuesday 11 February, 10.30am GMT
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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