A scene from the Beggar’s Opera as performed and perhaps witnessed by Hogarth. The scene (Act III, Scene II) is the last. Set in Newgate prison. At center stage, is the highwayman Macheath, chained (played by Thomas Walker) wearing red. Two women who believe they are married to him plead for his life as he is sentenced to the gallows. To his left, Lucy Lockit with her back to the audience (played by Mrs. Egleton) is dressed in blue. She pleads with her father the prison warden (John Hall). On his right Polly Peachum (played by Lavinia Fenton) dressed in white with a pink sash, pleads with her father, a dishonest lawyer and informant (played by John Hippisley). The actors are flanked by an audience members privileged to sit in boxes on the stage. Among these is John Rich the impresario of the play. Cf. Einberg
Alternative Title:
Horace Walpole’s Copy of A Beggar’s Opera
Description:
Title from 2005 Christie's appraisal., Artist unidentified., Formerly attributed to William Hogarth. See R. Paulson, Hogarth: his life, art and times, pp. 26-7, pl. 45., In a contemporary gilt Rococo frame., Label on verso in Horace Walpole's with a note in his hand: "Sketch of the Beggar’s opera as first performed: Macheath, in red, by Walker. Polly kneeling, in white, by Miss Fenton, afterwards Duches of Bolton: Lucy in green, her face turned away, by Mrs. Eggleton; Peacham, in black by Hippisley; Lockit, by Hall. Amongst the audience, on the left hand, Sir Thomas Robinson of Rokeby, a tall gentleman with a long lean face; on the right, Sir Robert Faggs, profile, a fat man with short grey hair, much known at Newmarket. Painted by Hogarth. H.W.", Text from the 1842 Catalogue of the classic contents of Strawberry Hill collected by Horace Walpole: The original sketch of The Beggar's Opera, representing Walker as Macheath; Miss Fenton, afterwards Duchess of Bolton, as Polly, Hippisley, as Peach'em; Hall as Lockit; on one side in a box are Sir Thomas Robinson, very tall and lean, and Sir Robert Flagg, a famous Horse racer, fat, with short grey hair, by Hogarth. This highly interesting and curious picture was purchased at the sale of John Rich, the celebrated Harlequin and Master of the Theatres in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields and Covent Garden, for whom the picture was painted - it is in its pure and genuine state, and presents one of the most remarkable efforts of this original master., Text from the 1774 edition of Horace Walpole's Description of the villa of Mr. Horace Walpole, at Strawberry Hill: The original sketch of the Beggar's Opera: Walker as Macheath; miss Fenton, afterwards duchess of Bolton, as Polly; Hippisley, as Peach'em; Hall as Lockit: on one side in a box, sir Thomas Robinson, very tall and lean; sir Robert Fagg, a famous horse-racer, fat, with short grey hair: by Hogarth. Bought at the sale of John Rich, the well known harlequin, and master of the theatres in Lincoln's-inn-fields and Covent-garden, for whom the picture was painted. Formerly hung in the Great North Bedchamber, Strawberry Hill., and Title devised by curator.
LWL Ptg. 100 Framed, on view in Administration Area
Image Count:
2
Resource Type:
still image
Abstract:
A view of the Thames from the right bank, nearly opposite Marble Hill Park. The white building visible through the trees on the right is Lady Suffolk’s House, Marble Hill. A sailboat floats on the water. A rider on horseback leads a second horse along the riverbank. Figures gather at leisure under the foreground tree, while across the river other stroll on paths through the lawn
Description:
Title from 2005 Christie's appraisal., Formerly attributed to Richard Wilson, now attributed to his circle., and Another version of this scene is in the National Gallery. This is reproduced in W.G. Constable, Richard Wilson, plate 57a. Horace Walpole records in his copy of the exhibition catalogue that Wilson exhibited a painting of the View of the Thames near Richmond at the Society of Arts 1762. This painting is not included in David Solkin’s Richard Wilson Online Catalogue Raisonné (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art).
This cityscape depicts a view of Westminster Bridge built in 1739-1750 with private funding under the direction of Swiss engineer Thomas Page. The painting features one of the stone arches that characterize the structure the bridge and frames a view of the city of Westminster in the distance. Abundant activity on the Thames includes several boats and barges loaded with goods. Figures on the bridge include a man on a ladder working on a lantern at the top of a pier
Alternative Title:
Westminister Bridge
Description:
Title from 2005 Christie's appraisal., A second, autograph copy of this composition is at the Yale Center for British Art. See https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:365, and Temporary local subject terms: arches | architectural subject | baskets | bathers | boats | bridge (built work) | buildings | city | cityscape | costume | drinking | food | genre subject | leisure | men | nude | pipe | platform | river | smoking (activity) | swimmers | swimming | tankard | women.
Purchased by Wilmarth Sheldon Lewis in Lima, Peru in 1943. Price $50 had been in there. Summary: A scene recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. An angel appears in a dream to Saint Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary to announce the conception of Christ through the Holy Ghost. The angel gestures with one finger both to heaven and the Virgin Mary as she approaches the sleeping Saint Joseph whose head is rests in slumber on his hand and elbow as he leans at his writing desk. He is dressed in blue and red ornamented with gold flowers. His other hand holds a flower. Above joseph is an image of the Virgin Mary who kneels in prayer before an open Bible. The cloud before here represents the Holy Ghost. In the foreground are two courting peacocks, the male with his tail fully fanned. In the distance a shepherd watches his flock in a meadow. In the distance a city, presumably Nazareth, is nestled in the hills
Alternative Title:
Dream of St. Joseph and Dream of Saint Joseph
Description:
Title from 2005 Christie's appraisal. and Cuzco School (Peru).
Thirty-seven men gather in a large room with a painted ceiling and a tessellated marble floor. They drink and converse in small groups. Some are seated at small tables. Servants provide coffee and punch. At the far right, the artist Thomas Patch, seated on the statue of a golden ass, holds a palette and painting stick. The front of the pedestal is inscribed: EREXIT| ANNO | [MD]CCLXI. A lengthy doggerel Italian verse is on the side. Seven canvases hang on the walls. From left to right they are an abbé, perhaps Anton maria Bisconi), Sir Henry Mainwaring, Lord Stamford, the Duke of Roxburghe Doune (later Earl of moray), the Rev. Johnathan Liyeatt, and on the right wall, a parody of a classical picture with Patch in Roman costume. Humorous statuettes represent the four continents. Some of the figures have been identified, including John Althorp, Duke of Roxburghe who is handing a letter to Horave Mann, Lord Cowper, Sir brooks Bridges and Charles Boothby. Other possible identities include Lord Grantham, Thomas Robinson, Lord Torrington and James White. At the center foreground a dog, perhaps Patch’s own, is seated on the floor with a collection of wine coolers and bottles
Alternative Title:
Punch party [from Watson]
Description:
Title from 2005 Christie's appraisal., Alternative title from Watson: A punch party., Inscribed on the front of the plinth: EREXIT/ANNO/[M]DCCLXI., and For more information see Object File in Flat File 35.
Holy Family seated before a steep hill in a landscape with lush trees. Mary with a gold halo holds the infant savior on her lap. Joseph sits to her proper right. The young St. John the Baptist standing to Mary’s proper left extends his hand with and offering for the infant. Flanking the group, winged putti gather flowers and pet a sheep. A pile of fruit lies before them. In the left foreground is a body of water. Buildings are visible in the left distance
Alternative Title:
Holy Family, in a landscape and Holy family, with boys and angels, in a landscape
Description:
Title devised by curator., Label on front of frame: Avont Pieter van 1600-1652., Attributed by Horace Walpole to Pieter Van Artois. Now attributed by curator to Antwerp School, first half of the 17th century., Text from 1774 Description: East end: ... Holy family, with boy angels, in a landscape; by Van Artois, scholar of Rubens: from Sir Robert Walpole's collection. Formerly hung in the Gallery at Strawberry Hill., and Title from the 1842 Catalogue of the classic contents of Strawberry Hill collected by Horace Walpole: The Holy Family, in a Landscape. St. John is seen presenting fruit to the Infant Saviour, with Angels fondling a Lamb and gathering fruit and flowers, a highly finished and exquisite specimen of the art, the colours most brilliant and in fine preservation, on copper, by Van Artois, a pupil of Rubens. From Sir Robert Walpole's collection.
Depicts a French interior with a writing table and three figurines, a tall case clock in the right background
Description:
Title from inventory. and Signed by the artist in the lower left, in an ornate gilt carved frame bearing a plaque with title and artist's name, some loss on the gilt frame, vertical band of inpainting along the right side where the canvas touches the stretcher.
This topographical view of Twickenham on the Thames River features four summer houses of note. At left closet to the foreground is the villa formerly owned by Alexander Pope which was acquired on his death in 1744 by Sir William Stanhope. Stanhope altered the house considerably by this date including the addition of wings seen in this view. The domed structure in the center is Lady Ferrer’s house. To the right and receding into the distance along the river, are the houses of Barnaby Backwell and Poulett Lodge beyond. A game of stool-ball takes place on the lawn of Pope’s Villa and an angler is fishing from the shore. A boat pulls into the boathouse. A barge floats on the river in the foreground. Some swans swim closer to the shore. The artist Samuel Scott lived in Twickenham nearby when he painted this view. It was likely acquired by Walpole directly from the painter and hung above the door in the Green Closet at Strawberry Hill
Description:
Title from 2005 Christie's appraisal. and Date base another version of this painting at the Yale Center for British Art: Samuel Scott, 1701/2-1772, British. Pope's Villa, Twickenham, ca. 1759 (https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:1041).
A front view of the estate and building at Mount Vernon with a distant view of the Potomac River and mountain peak. Several tourists are scattered on the lawn and on the front colonnade
Alternative Title:
Front view of Mount Vernon from the north with the east front and lawn
Description:
Title from 2005 Christie's appraisal. and Artist unidentified. From 2005 Christie's appraisal: American School, 19th century.
LWL Ptg. 104 Framed, on view in Administration Area
Image Count:
1
Resource Type:
still image
Abstract:
A view toward Richmond hill looking over the Thames River. The landscape well-treed. Swans swim in the foreground water. At left a party disembarks from a boat. A couple wait on shore with their dog. Some vessels with sails navigate the river. Buildings stretch across the top of the hill in the distant horizon
Description:
Title from 2005 Christie's appraisal. and One of a pair of paintings; the other is entitled: View of Twickenham from Strawberry Hill.