THOMAS GAINSBOROUGH, R.A. (1727-1788). A road through a wood with figures (or 'Country Lane with Sand Pits'), black chalk heightened in white.
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Born and raised in rural Suffolk, Thomas Gainsborough developed an affection for the English countryside, its people, and its ways. Despite achieving extraordinary success as a portrait artist, he found his greatest personal satisfaction in landscapes. His landscapes, executed with an unmistakable fluency, served as an escape from the demands of high society portraiture. Gainsborough's drawings, which he considered finished works in their own right, were much admired in his lifetime. His friend William Jackson notably observed that "If I were to rest his [Gainsborough’s] reputation upon one point, it should be on his drawings. No man ever possessed methods so various in producing effect, and all were excellent." [J. Hayes and L. Stainton, Gainsborough Drawings, Washington, 1983, pp.15].
Although there are no records of Gainsborough formally selling his drawings, he is known to have gifted many to friends, and contemporary evidence suggests they were highly valued. As Lowell Libson writes in Gainsborough & The Landscape of Refinement: "Although there seems to be no record of Gainsborough charging for his drawings, we know he gave a number of sheets to friends throughout his career... But there is enough circumstantial evidence surrounding the exchange of Gainsborough’s drawings in his lifetime, and immediately after his death, to suggest that they were valuable commodities and highly esteemed by artists and collectors. As John Hayes noted, newspaper articles started appearing shortly after Gainsborough’s death in 1788, stating that his drawings were: ‘in the highest request, and sought with the utmost avidity.’" (pp.18).
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Provenance:
Formerly in the collection of Dr Revd. Henry Wellesley (1794-1866), a noted collector of old master drawings, and curator of the Bodleian Library, Ashmolean Museum, and Taylor Institute.
Acquired from the above by Francis Turner Palgrave (1824-1897), the Victorian poet and art critic. His pencil inscription dated 1879. Palgrave acquired several drawings from the Wellesley collection, several of which are now at the British Museum, some of which feature pencil inscriptions in the same hand as present on this drawing, for example a drawing by Sir Joshua Reynolds, museum number 1886,0609.34 which was purchased for the British Museum at Christie's 4th June 1886 lot 27.
Exhibited at the Royal Academy's Winter Exhibition of Old Masters, 1879, at Burlington House, London, where given as entry No.350 in the catalogue, page 105. The catalogue gives the ownership at the time of the exhibition as F.T. Palgrave, Esq. One other drawing was lent by Palgrave for this exhibition, described in no.373 of the exhibition catalogue.
Sold at Christie's June 15th 1883.
With The Fine Art Society, London, where sold in January 1960. A similar, though less sophisticated, and probably much later on in his career, Gainsborough drawing with the same provenance of The Fine Art Society in the 1960s housed in an identical mount and near identical frame sold at Sotheby's July 7th 2021 lot 54 for £18,900, and so this drawing was likely at some time in the proximity of the 2021 Sotheby's drawing. A comparable Gainsborough drawing sold for £48,000 at Sotheby's 27th November 2003 lot 2. Our drawing was not exhibited at The Fine Art Society's Gainsborough Drawings exhibition of 1960-61, presumably as this started in November 1960 and this had already sold in January.
Sold at Lawrences Fine Art sale, April 2007.
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Sheet size: 270 x 383 mm (approx.)
Sight size: 265 x 375 mm (approx.)
Frame size: 530 x 622 mm (approx.)
Condition:
The drawing itself is fixed to a backing sheet by a small central spot of glue, and it is this backing sheet which is taped to the mount as seen in the photos, not the drawing itself. This tape is partially excised around three sides to allow for direct observation of the drawing, likewise with the verso of the frame. The backing board of the frame is secured with small nails and the hanging rope, both of which are easily removeable without concern for damage. There is a small pencil note on the verso of the drawing itself relating to the 1879 exhibition. The pencil notes regarding the Wellesley/F.T. Palgrave provenance are on the verso of the mount at the foot, and given that this appears to be in the hand of F.T. Palgrave, given the same handwriting present on drawings from his collection held at the British Museum, this mount would appear to originate circa this time of ownership. Wooden backing board of the frame on the outward facing side with foxing, likewise with the label for the Fine Art Society, pictured. The other smaller label is on the inside of the backing board.
