Beschreibung:

Circle of Joseph Wright of Derby (British, 1734-1797)Group portrait of Robert, Peter and Richard Arkwright full-length, standing in a landscape with a kite Oil on canvas 199 x 155.5cm (78 3/8 x 61 1/4in).FootnotesThe children depicted here (being those of Richard Arkwright Junior and his wife Mary) are: left Robert (born 1783); centre Richard (born 1781); right Peter (born 1784). The present composition is derived from the prime version by Joseph Wright of Derby (see Benedict Nicolson, Joseph Wright of Derby, no. 329, when in the collection of Col. Peter Arkwright). A letter from Wright to Richard Arkwright Junior, dated 1st December 1790 proves that the originals of the present and following portrait (Lot 71) had been commissioned by then and a further letter, dated 27th June 1791, shows that they were then nearly completed. This group portrait, as well as Lots 71 and 72, are all listed as hanging in the Dining Room at Hampton Court, Herefds in an inventory taken on 27th February 1858 (Herefds Archives and Record Centre) following the death of John Arkwright. '3 Paintings of Richard Arkwright Esq & Family – do' [ie 'full length copy from original by Wright Derby'] Surviving correspondence of early 1852 between brothers Peter and John Arkwright following the death of their younger brother Charles in 1850 indicates that the portraits were not specifically mentioned in Charles' will and so were shared between the residuary legatees (who included the surviving siblings and their cousins). It was decided that the brothers should take the portraits and the cousins the other pictures in the house. Robert and Joseph, Peter informed John, were 'quite willing to give up all claim to them to you as wishing to possess them'. On 26th April 1852, Peter wrote again to say that instructions had been given to 'the Person who will see them sent off, to inform you of the time at which they will arrive at Worcester so that I have no doubt you will get them in a day or two.' So the portraits moved from Dunstall, Staffordshire, to Hampton Court, Herefordshire in 1852, and from there to Kinsham Court, Herefordshire, in 1911. How these portraits came to hang at Dunstall is less clear. Richard Arkwright bought the estate in 1826, nearly thirty years after the death of Joseph Wright of Derby. The original set of these pictures had been commissioned from the artist for the new home that Sir Richard built, Willersley, at Cromford, Derbyshire. Unfortunately a fire at Willersley in 1791, just as it was nearing completion meant that Sir Richard Arkwright never lived in his new home; he died on 3rd August 1792, just before Willersley was finished. Might it be that the group portraits, completed circa July 1791, were delivered to Stoke Hall at Curbar, where Sir Richard's son lived, and hung there until Willersley was finished? The removal of Richard the younger from Stoke Hall to Willersley, with the portraits, would have left gaps at Stoke Hall, where his eldest surviving son, Robert and his wife Frances were to live after Richard. Might a second set of the portraits have been commissioned in 1792, to replace those formerly at Stoke Hall? In 1824, Richard purchased Sutton Hall, Sutton Scarsdale, Derbyshire, to which Robert and Frances moved in 1836. In 1839, Richard sold Stoke Hall and the portraits would have needed a new home. It appears that Charles wished to have them at Dunstall (Sutton had ornate panelled walls and perhaps the pictures were not suitable, or perhaps Sutton's walls were already hung with favourite pictures?) and so Charles took them instead after the Stoke Hall sale, to hang at Dunstall. With thanks to Catherine Beale for her historical guidance and research on this lot.