Charles Jervas

LOT 330 THE PROPERTY OF A PRIVATE CORPORATION CHARLES JERVAS COUNTY OFFALY, IRELAND 1675 - 1739 LONDON PORTRAIT OF BENJAMIN HATLEY FOOTE, AGED TWELVE (B.1713) inscribed on the verso of the stretcher: Benjamin Hatley Foote / G t Uncle to ND Ward / aged 12 years / of Malling Abbey Kent / Jarvis Pinxt oil on canvas 126 by 102 cm.; 49½ by 40¼ in.

Lot Description Charles Jervas (Dublin c. 1675-1739 London) Portrait of a lady, three-quarter-length, in a blue dress besideclassical relief, a lake beyond oil on canvas 50 x 40 in. (127 x 101.6 cm.) View Lot Notes › Charles Jervas, who was born in Ireland, studied under SirGodfrey Kneller (from circa 1694-5). He travelled to Italy viaParis in 1698 and had settled in Rome by 1703, where he remaineduntil 1709, where George Vertue noted that he was known as 'CarloJervasi' and 'Esteemed' as a 'good, engenious [sic] painter'. Onhis return to London he became fashionable as a portrait painterpartly on account of his friendships in literary circles and hesucceeded Kneller as Principal Painter to King George I in 1723. Heremained in London until his death but also made regular trips toIreland.

Charles Jervas (Dublin c.1675-1739 London) Portrait of Lavinia Fenton, later Duchess of Bolton (1710-1760),three-quarter-length, as Polly Peachum in John Gay's The Beggar'sOpera with identifying inscription 'LAVINIA, Duchess of Bolton/as PollyPeachum./by Hogarth.' (upper left) oil on canvas 50 x 40½ in. (127 x 102.8 cm.) In the current owner's family since the 19th Century. View Lot Notes › Lot Notes The sitter was one of the most celebrated British actresses ofthe first half of the 18th Century. Baptized Lavinia Besswick, shewas probably the illegitimate daughter of a naval lieutenant, andadopted the surname of her step-father on her mother's marriage.Recognised as 'a child of a vivacious lively spirit, and apromising beauty', she later made a number of appearances on thestage before her role as Polly Peachum in John Gay's The Beggar'sOpera made her the toast of London in 1728. On 20 March that year,Gay wrote to Swift 'There is a Mezzo-tinto Print publish'd to dayof Polly, the Heroine of the Beggar's Opera, who was beforeunknown, & is now in so high vogue, that I am in doubt, whetherher fame does not surpass that of the Opera itself'. On 6 July Gayrelayed to Swift that 'The D of Bolton I hear hath run away withPolly Peachum'. Charles Powlett (or Paulet), 3rd Duke of Bolton wasin a wretched marriage and his union with Lavinia was both happyand long-lasting; she bore him three sons and they marriedimmediately following the duchess' death in 1751. The Duke ofBolton is shown gazing at Lavinia in Hogarth's painting of TheBeggar's Opera (Tate Britain). The identification of the sitter asLavinia Fenton seems likely on the basis of comparison with knownportraits of her.

Charles Jervas (Dublin c. 1675-1739 London) Portrait of Lavinia Fenton, later Duchess of Bolton (1710-1760),three-quarter-length, as Polly Peachum in John Gay's The Beggar'sOpera with identifying inscription 'LAVINIA, Duchess of Bolton as PollyPeachum. by Hogarth.' (upper left) oil on canvas 50 x 40½ in. (127 x 102.8 cm.) Provenance In the current owner's family since the 19th Century. Lot Notes The sitter was one of the most celebrated British actresses ofthe first half of the 18th Century. Baptized Lavinia Besswick, shewas probably the illegitimate daughter of a naval lieutenant, andadopted the surname of her step-father on her mother's marriage.Recognised as 'a child of a vivacious lively Spirit, and apromising beauty', she later made a number of appearances on thestage before her role as Polly Peachum in John Gay's The Beggar'sOpera made her the toast of London in 1728. On 20 March that year,Gay wrote to Swift 'There is a Mezzo-tinto Print publish'd to dayof Polly, the Heroine of the Beggar's Opera, who was beforeunknown, & is now in so high vogue, that I am in doubt, whetherher fame does not surpass that of the Opera itself'. On 6 July Gayrelayed to Swift that 'The D of Bolton I hear hath run away withPolly Peachum'. Charles Powlett (or Paulet), 3rd Duke of Bolton wasin a wretched marriage and his union with Lavinia was both happyand long-lasting; she bore him three sons and they marriedimmediately following the duchess' death in 1751. The Duke ofBolton is shown gazing at Lavinia in Hogarth's painting of TheBeggar's Opera (Tate Britain). The identification of the sitter asLavinia Fenton seems likely on the basis of comparison with knownportraits of her.

LOT 225 PROPERTY OF A NOBLEMAN CHARLES JERVAS COUNTY OFFALY, IRELAND 1675 - 1739 LONDON PORTRAIT OF HENRIETTA (D.1776), WIFE OF THOMAS PELHAM-HOLLES, DUKE OF NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE AND 1ST DUKE OF NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME (1693-1768) AND PRIME MINISTER (1754-1756) 20,000—30,000 GBP measurements measurements note 123.5 by 98.5 cm.; 48 3/4 by 38 3/4 in. Description oil on canvas, in a British Palladian carved and gilded frame PROVENANCE The Pelham Family; by descent CATALOGUE NOTE The sitter was the daughter of Francis, 2nd Earl of Godolphin and his wife Henrietta, later Duchess of Marlborough. In 1717 she married Thomas Pelham-Holles, Duke of Newcastle. The couple both died without issue, the majority of their estate passing to Thomas Pelham, a first cousin, later Lord Pelham of Stanmer.