Portrait of Charles Malton (b. 1788), three-quarter-length, as a child

Details

Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A. (Bristol 1769-1830 London)
Portrait of Charles Malton (b. 1788), three-quarter-length, as a child
pencil and red and brown chalks
11 5/8 x 7 7/8 in. (29.5 x 19.5 cm.)

Provenance

Thomas Malton Junior (1751-1804) and by descent to
Charles Malton.
E.M. Hodgkins; Christie's, London, 29 June 1917, lot 67 (160 gns unsold).
with Etienne Ader, Galerie Charpentier, Paris, 24 May 1955, no. 129.

Literature

R.S. Gower, Sir Thomas Lawrence, London, 1900, p. 148.
G.S. Layard, Sir Thomas Lawrence's letter-bag, London, 1906, engraving illustrated facing p. 90.
W. Armstrong, Lawrence, London, 1913, p. 185.
K. Garlick, 'A Catalogue of Paintings, Drawings and Pastels of Sir Thomas Lawrence', Walpole Society, 1964, XXXIX, p. 236.

Exhibited

Possibly London, Royal Academy, 1791, no. 516.

Engraved

F.C. Lewis, London, 1831, as 'From a drawing made by Lawrence when 20'.

Brought to you by

Harriet West

Check the condition report or get in touch for additional information about this

hwest@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2541

If you wish to view the condition report of this lot, please sign in to your account.

View condition report

Lot Essay

Charles Malton was the second son of Thomas Malton, Jun. (1748-1804), topographical artist. He trained as an architect with Sir John Soane (1753-1837) from 1802-1809, but the relationship between the two men is recorded as fraught and there is no evidence that Charles ever practised architecture. Thomas Malton would have known Lawrence from Royal Academy exhibitions.

Executed in the 1790s, Lawrence has depicted the little boy with dishevelled clothing and hair, echoing Gainsborough's Cottage Door, (1780), while his face and gaze are reminiscent of Reynolds's Strawberry Girl (1773).

More from Old Master & Early British Drawings and Watercolours

View All