The bear and the bear leader, passing the Hotel d'Angleterre

Details

Thomas Rowlandson (London 1756-1827)
The bear and the bear leader, passing the Hotel d'Angleterre
signed and dated 'Rowlandson 1776' (lower right) and inscribed 'The Bear and Bear Leader' (lower left)
pencil, pen and brown ink and watercolour, on Whatman paper dated 1816
11 ¼ x 8 ¾ cm. (28.6 x 22.3 cm.)

Provenance

Charles William Dyson Perrins.
with Leger Galleries, London, February 1981.
Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, London, 13 July 1995, lot 38, where purchased for the present collection.

Brought to you by

Jonathan den Otter

jdenotter@christies.com +44 (0) 207 389 2736

Lot Essay

In the 18th and 19th Centuries, a bear-leader was a colloquial term for someone who escorted wealthy and aristocratic young gentlemen on the Grand Tour. The role incorporated elements of tutor, guardian, companion and chaperone. Here, Rowlandson depicts a precocious young man watched over by his much larger and older tutor.

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