Set of Four 18th Century Portraits by Arthur Devis
£22,500
A rare set of four George II portraits by Arthur Devis. Each sitter shown full length in an interior setting and dated 1755. These small-scale portraits, often featuring sparsely furnished interior scenes are typical of Arthur Devis. These compositions set within an interior echo the so-called ‘Conversation piece’ genre. This popular form of painting took great inspiration in its modest size and subject matter from Dutch interior paintings of the seventeenth century.
The lady in a lace-trimmed, blue satin dress and holding a book and seated beside a tripod tea table; a capriccio landscape hanging on the wall behind.
The lady in a lace-trimmed gold satin dress holding a bunch of summer flowers, wearing a rose in in her lace collar and a pearl earring and seated beside a tripod tea table, again with an Italianate capriccio landscape hanging on the wall behind and flanked by floral plasterwork pendants.
The gentleman wearing a brown frock coat with long satin waistcoat beneath and seated beside a pad-foot card table on which sits a letter and a ledger, the wall behind is decorated with a floral plasterwork swag and pendants.
The lady in a lace-trimmed white satin dress with jewelled bodice holding a peach in her left hand and with a tiny songbird perched on her right hand, the wall behind is decorated with a floral plasterwork swag and pendants pendants.
Currently unframed. We are happy to provide a framing service.
Arthur Devis (Preston 1712-1787 Brighton)
Arthur Devis was an English artist whose father, Anthony, was progenitor of what became a family dynasty of painters and writers. The place of Arthur Devis in art history is generally as painter of the type of portrait now called a conversation piece. After moving to London and apprenticeship to a Flemish topographical artist there, he switched to portraiture and acquired a considerable reputation, although this success did not last. Unable to adapt to later fashionable artistic currents, his commissions declined and his work was largely forgotten after his death until the 20th century revival of interest in the conversation piece.
The offered set of portraits are extremely closely related to Arthur Devis’ portrait of Mrs Wettenhall,
which was offered at Bonhams, London, 5 December 2012, Lot 70 (Illustrated) It is worth noting that the portrait of Mrs Wettenhall is of identical scale to the offered portraits, and may even have originally accompanied this set.
Each stretcher bears the mark if J. Taylor, Picture Liner, Manchester who carried out re-lining of the pictures in 19th Century.
John Taylor 1843-1856, Joseph Robert Taylor 1856-1889. At 20 Cross St, Manchester 1843, 19 Ridgefield 1843, 20 Ashton St 1845, 15 Brazennose St 1847-1889. Picture restorers, carvers and gilders.
