Portrait of Dr. Thomas Penrose, 1798
Louis Gauffierexpand_more
Oil on canvasexpand_more
The John R. Van Derlip Fundexpand_more 66.20
On View in Gallery 305expand_more
Louis Gauffier was one of many French artists who fled Rome in 1793 in order to escape Roman reprisals following the execution of Louis XVI in France. Arriving in Florence, Gauffier the history painter adopted a portrait genre based on the flourishing market for commemorative likenesses of aristocrats set in characteristic landscapes of the region.
Thomas Penrose (1769-1851) was neither an artist (as the sketchbook he holds suggests), nor an aristocrat. However, the sitter had diplomatic ambitions and, at the time of this portrait, was serving as secretary to the English envoy to the Duke of Tuscany. With a high degree of finish, Gauffier depicts Penrose above Florence on an upper terrace of the Boboli gardens.
Details
- Title
- Portrait of Dr. Thomas Penrose
- Artist Life
- 1762 - 1801
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 66.20
- Provenance
- [1] Sale, Sotheby's, London, April 22, 1959, no. 174, as "Portrait of an Artist"; '[Mrs. Franks, London, as self-portrait] [2]. Private collection, England (until 1962, sale, Sotheby's, London, April 4, 1962, no. 56, as "Portrait of Dr. Penrose," for $3,360, to Wildenstein [3]; [Wildenstein and Co., London and New York, 1962–66; sold to Mia] [1] Philippe Borde (MIA Bulletin, 1971) suggests that Gauffier kept the portrait himself until his death on 8 Feb, 1851. He held the vicarship in Writtle-cum-Roxwell from 1814 to his death, and pursued a Doctorate from Oxford in 1818. Borde also says that the history prior to the Sotheby's sale is not known, but most probably the painting was sold by heirs of the sitter, who is identified in the auction catalogue. [2] See Letter from Brinsley Ford, Feb. 9, 1966, object file [3] Copy of auction catalogue in curatorial file. Listed as 'Other Properties'.
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.