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拍品专文
Sir Michael le Fleming was the son of William Fleming, 3 Bt. (d. 1757) and his wife Elizabeth, née Petyt. He succeeded his father as 4th Bt. upon his father’s death, served as sheriff of Cumbria in 1770-71, was named lieutenant-colonel in the Westmorland militia in 1779, and represented Westmorland in the House of Commons from 1774 until his death. In 1782 he married Lady Diana Howard, daughter of Thomas, 14th Earl of Suffolk and 7th Earl of Berkshire, with whom he had one daughter. Romney’s account books indicate that Le Fleming had an unusually large number of sittings with the artist: ten in 1779, eleven in 1780, and two more in 1784.
The present painting, known to Alex Kidson only through a poor transparency at the time of his catalogue raisonné, has been confused with a version of a portrait of Hon. Captain Francis North, which had been described as a portrait of Le Fleming at least since its sale from the collection of James Fenton at Christie’s, London, 26 February 1880, lot 83 (see A. Kidson, op. cit., II, p. 356, no. 782). Noting the similar dimensions of the two paintings, Kidson has suggested that Le Fleming may have been sent the portrait of North, who likewise is portrayed bust-length in a red jacket, by mistake and that, on Le Fleming’s request, the sittings of 1780 or 1784 may have generated the present painting (written communication, 7 September 2017). He is shown wearing the jacket of the Westmorland militia, which suggests that the original commission was to mark his lieutenant-colonelcy.
Another version of this painting, which was destroyed shortly after it was painted, was described in the artist’s account book of 1781 and ledger of 1787. A small copy by Romney’s pupil Thomas Barrow (1749-c. 1778) was previously at Rydal Hall, Le Fleming’s residence outside Grasmere (see H. Ward and W. Roberts, op. cit.).
We are grateful to Alex Kidson for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.
The present painting, known to Alex Kidson only through a poor transparency at the time of his catalogue raisonné, has been confused with a version of a portrait of Hon. Captain Francis North, which had been described as a portrait of Le Fleming at least since its sale from the collection of James Fenton at Christie’s, London, 26 February 1880, lot 83 (see A. Kidson, op. cit., II, p. 356, no. 782). Noting the similar dimensions of the two paintings, Kidson has suggested that Le Fleming may have been sent the portrait of North, who likewise is portrayed bust-length in a red jacket, by mistake and that, on Le Fleming’s request, the sittings of 1780 or 1784 may have generated the present painting (written communication, 7 September 2017). He is shown wearing the jacket of the Westmorland militia, which suggests that the original commission was to mark his lieutenant-colonelcy.
Another version of this painting, which was destroyed shortly after it was painted, was described in the artist’s account book of 1781 and ledger of 1787. A small copy by Romney’s pupil Thomas Barrow (1749-c. 1778) was previously at Rydal Hall, Le Fleming’s residence outside Grasmere (see H. Ward and W. Roberts, op. cit.).
We are grateful to Alex Kidson for his assistance in cataloguing this lot.