Beschreibung:

Sir Joshua Reynolds (British 1723-1792) Portrait of a Lady/Probably Mrs. Frampton Unsigned, identified on a presentation plaque. Oil on canvas, 50 x 40 in. (127.0 x 101.5 cm), framed. Condition: Lined, retouch, skinning, varnish discoloration, surface grime. Provenance: From the collection of H. Fetherstonhaugh Frampton, Esq., through to the collection of Willis F. McCook (per an appraisal in the Vizcaya Museum archives dated November 6, 1926), to the collection of Graciela Sanchez Brownlow (d. 2012), loaned by Mrs. Brownlow to the Vizcaya Museum from 1983 to 2001, where it was briefly displayed in the Lady Hamilton guest bedroom; purchased from the estate of Graciela Sanchez Brownlow by the current owner. Exhibitions: Old Masters, deceased Masters of the British School, Burlington House, London, January 3-March 12, 1910, lent by H. Fetherstonhaugh Frampton, Esq.; Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, Florida, 1983-2001. N.B. According to the Royal Academy catalog referenced above, the sitter was the wife of James Frampton, Esq. of Moreton, Dorset, England. The portrait has been examined via digital images by Dr. David Mannings, who confirmed its authenticity, and a copy of a letter from Dr. Mannings dated June 8, 2012, accompanies the lot. Dr. Mannings writes that the portrait may be dated to the period 1755-60 based on the costume. The identity of the sitter cannot be fully ascertained without further documentation. Dr. Mannings continues that while the name "Frampton" does not appear in Reynolds's papers, there are gaps in the documentation for this period. Often the sitter's identity rests on a tradition passed down in families, as is the case here.