EIGHTEENTH CENTURY ‘IT’ GIRLS CAUSE A STIR AT BONHAMS
Star appearance from the Ladies Rushout, famed beauties of their day, at Bonhams Fine Portrait Miniatures sale.
A famed portrait in enamel of three eighteenth century society beauties will be one of the highlights in the Fine Portrait Miniatures auction at Bonhams on the 28th June. Estimated at £10,000 - £15,000, The Three Graces, by Henry Bone, portrays the Ladies Rushout: Anne, Harriet and Elizabeth, the three daughters of John Rushout, Baron Northwick of Northwick Park and his wife, Rebecca (née Bowles). Renowned for their beauty and charm during their lifetimes, the sisters were painted together many times. Bone’s enamel offered by Bonhams derives from Andrew Plimer’s earlier portrait miniature of the trio on ivory - arguably Plimer’s most famous work. An engraving of the same composition is with the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
The 28th June sale will also include a charming portrait miniature of three young children painted by the French artist, Mme Jeanne Doucet de Surigny. Signed, ‘Mlle Glaesner’, the piece, estimated to sell at £4,000 - £6,000, is an extremely rare example of the artist’s work – few miniatures pre-dating her marriage exist. The three children portrayed could possibly be those of Lord Robert Seymour (1748 – 1831). The emotional closeness between the children conveyed in this carefully staged but relaxed composition presents a tender family image – a far cry from the subjects of some of Doucet de Surigny’s later work. In a miniature of 1791, under the pseudonym ‘La Citoyenne Doucet’, the artist portrayed the revolutionary, Jean Nicholas Billaud-Varenne, often considered a central protagonist in the Reign of Terror, when tens of thousands lost their lives to the infamous guillotine.
Jennifer Tonkin, Specialist in the Portrait Miniatures department commented: “The Three Graces is one of the most famous compositions of the late Georgian period and remains the most recognisable portraits of the Ladies Rushout. Printed reproductions of the original provided the wider public of the time with an idealised image of English beauty and Bone’s example is exceptional in its impact. Doucet de Surigny’s rare and charming portrait miniature invites us to understand the sacredness of childhood innocence and companionship prior to the evolution of child portraiture that occurred during the Victorian era. We are delighted to be able to offer both works in the forthcoming auction and look forward to their reception ahead of the 28th June”.
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com.
