Description

Oil on canvas in a good period carved and giltwood frame.
Thought to be a member of the Haworth family of Yorkshire, the young sitter is depicted in a rakish and stylish pose, his blue garments extremely fashionable in colour and cut.
The artist, as yet unidentified, clearly had great painterly pleasure in the use of the medium. The brush strokes have a real bravura quality which brings the material to life. Strongly influenced by Jonathan Richardson, the artist is not slavish in his style, but brings to it his own powerful presence.
The Haworths were an old and influential Yorkshire family of Haworth Hall, Dunswell, Hull, Yorkshire. They were timber merchants and extensive landowners, some of them Baronets.
The Blaydes and the Booths were rich and powerful merchant families who had married into the Haworths. Like the aristocracy these wealthy merchants married within their peers, always with an eye on increasing their wealth and power.
JONATHAN RICHARDSON Snr (c1665 - 1745) was the leading native-born portrait painter of the first forty years of the century. He and Jervas were in rivalry with Kneller and Dahl. Jervas excelled with women's portraits Richardson was best with men, working almost entirely as a portrait-painter in London.
Richardson was born in 1666, but when he was about seven his father died and his mother married again. Richardson became a scrivener's apprentice, but he was released early when his master retired. Richardson was lucky enough to be taken on as a painting apprentice by John Riley. He learnt the art of portraiture from Riley whilst living at his master's house. Richardson's wife was Riley's niece.
In 1731 he was considered by some art-critics as one of the three foremost painters of his time with Charles Jervas and Michael Dahl. He was the master of Thomas Hudson and George Knapton.
SIZE: 43.5 x 35 inches inc. frame.
PROVENANCE: Haworth Hall, then by descent in the family to a branch which settled in Oxfordshire. Deceased estate.
Internal Ref: 8997

Dimensions

Height = 110 cm (44")
Width = 89 cm (35")
Depth = 4 cm (2")