JOHN SMART (BRITISH, 1741-1811)

PROPERTY OF THE LATE ARTHUR JAFFE (1880-1954)The following eleven drawings by John Smart were formerly in the collection of the late Arthur Jaffe, who spent many years researching the miniaturist John Smart and had intended to write a catalogue raisonné of the artist’s works. He died before he was able to complete this task but his extensive research notes formed the basis of Daphne Foskett’s book, John Smart. The Man and his Miniatures, published in 1964. The drawings had previously belonged to the great-grandchildren of John Smart. It is believed that Smart duplicated, on paper, the portrait miniatures he produced in case a sitter ever asked for further versions. These duplicate portraits were retained by the artist and later inherited by members of his family. Many were sold at Christie’s in the 1930s.

Details

JOHN SMART (BRITISH, 1741-1811)
A lady believed to be Lady Sullivan, née Mary Lodge (d. 1832)
Pencil and watercolour on card, the reverse inscribed by the artist ‘Mrs Sullivan’
62 x 56 mm., mounted, the reverse inscribed by Arthur Jaffe with sitter's biography

Provenance

According to the note on the reverse, purchased by Arthur Jaffe from Mrs Busteed, a great-granddaughter of the artist, in 1941.

Literature

D. Foskett, John Smart. The Man and his Miniatures, London, 1964, p. 74, as ‘Mrs Richard Sullivan, c. 1778’.

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Lot Essay

Mary was the daughter of Thomas Lodge of Leeds and married Sir Richard Joseph Sullivan, 1st Bt (1752-1806) in December 1778 and had eight children. Sir Richard, third son of Benjamin Sullivan of Dromeragh, Co. Cork, a barrister and Clerk of the Crown for Cork and Waterford, was sent early in his life to India with his brother John with the help of Laurence Sulivan (1713-1786), chairman of the East India Company, and a possible uncle. Sir Richard returned to England and was elected MP for New Romney in 1787 and 1790 but lost his seat in 1796 and in 1802 was elected MP for Seaford. In 1804, he was created a baronet. He wrote a number of books on political issues. Their third son Charles (1789-1862) inherited the baronetcy and was Admiral of the Blue.

A watercolour of Sir Richard Sullivan, signed and dated 1785 is illustrated D. Foskett (op. cit.), pl. XV, no. 56 (Collection of Mrs Burton-Jones). A finished miniature by Smart, signed and dated 1779, which may depict the same sitter as in the present portrait, described as ‘A lady’ was exhibited London, Burlington Fine Arts Club, Exhibition of Portrait Miniatures, 1889, Case X, no. 17 (illustrated pl. XXI of the exhibition catalogue), lent by Jeffery Whitehead.

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