Joseph Wright of Derby English, 1734-1797
23 x 17 in
Provenance
John Holland of Ford Hall, Derbyshire (1734-1807) by whom left in a life interest to his widow and then in trust (Alderson was a Trustee) to the heirs of his relation Joseph Bilbie,
His daughter and sole heiress Mary Anne Bilbie who married 1st March 1832 Francis Hall esq of Park Hall (co. Nottingham). and who died 31st July 1877;
Her nephew Francis Hall (1856-1928) son of her husband’s younger brother, Geoffrey Brock Hall (Park Hall 1807 – Guelph, Canada, 1st April 1886)
Flora Caroline Hall (nee Hamilton) (6th September 1865 – 5th July 1939)
Estate of the late Flora C Hall, being the contents of Rivers Lea, Guelph, Ontario, sale, Ward-Price & Co, Toronto 23-28 September 1946 lot 718 (Wright) and 719 (Alderson) where purchased by a local Canadian collector by whom sold at auction in Toronto, Canada, circa 1980 to a Private Collector, lately of Guernsey, from whom acquired by us
Literature
Wm. Bemrose (1885) The Life and Works of Joseph Wright A.R.A., commonly called Wright of Derby where a variant of the composition is reproduced as the frontispiece of the book;
Benedict Nicholson (1968) Joseph Wright of Derby: Painter of Light pages 22, 134-5, 172 and Catalogue number 172 page 230 (as untraced), the composition recorded from a copy as figure 9;
John Ingamells (2004) National Portrait Gallery: Mid-Georgian Portraits 1760-1790, pages 496-7 sub catalogue 4090, Self-Portrait circa 1785;
Elizabeth E. Barker, Walpole Society LXXI (2009) Documents relating to Joseph Wright 'of Derby' (1734-1797) page 147 #119 (letter to John Holland from Joseph Wright 3rd April 1794)