Portrait of Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska (1702-1735), wife of 'The Old Pretender', bust-length, in a gold dress and blue ermine-lined cloak, in a feigned oval
Important information about this lot
Price Realised GBP 10,625
Estimate
GBP 10,000 - GBP 15,000
Estimates do not reflect the final hammer price and do not include buyer's premium, any applicable taxes or artist's resale right. Please see the Conditions of Sale for full details.
Closed: 30 Jul 2020
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WILLIAM MOSMAN (C. 1700-1771 ABERDEEN)
Portrait of Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska (1702-1735), wife of 'The Old Pretender', bust-length, in a gold dress and blue ermine-lined cloak, in a feigned oval
The sitter, daughter of Prince Sobieski, married Prince James Francis Edward Stuart (1688-1766), at Montefiascone on 1 September 1719. Under the terms of the anglo-French Treaty of 1716 that ended the War of Spanish Succession, 'The Old Pretender' had been forced to leave France after the failure of the 1715 uprising against George I. He settled in Rome in 1717 in the Palazzo del Re, a gift from Pope Clement XI. The house became the centre for Jacobite sympathizers on the Grand Tour.
William Mosman visited Rome in 1732 and stayed for six years, where he made a number of copies of Stuart portraits. Mosman based his image on Francesco Trevisani's portrait of Maria Clementina of 1719, a version of which was sold at Christie's, South Kensington, 29 October 2015, lot 112. The present lot was presumably painted after Mosman's prime copy of 1733 which is today in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery (acc. no. PG 886) and was previously attributed to Francesco Trevisani.
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Portrait of Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska (1702-1735), wife of 'The Old Pretender', bust-length, in a gold dress and blue ermine-lined cloak, in a feigned ovalWILLIAM MOSMAN (C. 1700-1771 ABERDEEN) Estimate: GBP 10,000 - 15,000
You have agreed to be bound by the Conditions of Sale and if your bid is successful, you are legally obliged to pay for the lot you have won. The purchase price for a successful bid will be the sum of your final bid plus a buyer’s premium, any applicable taxes and any artist resale royalty, exclusive of shipping-related expenses.
Condition report
A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.
The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.
The canvas has been relined and retains a good tension on its stretcher. The wealth of narrative detail, particularly in the costume, remains appreciable. There is an old repaired diagonal tear (measuring approx. 7 in.) running from the top of the sitter’s head towards the upper right corner. There are some tiny spot losses in the column, centre left. Examination under ultra violet confirms the above restoration and reveals some scattered strengthening, largely confined to the background, and some infilling to craquelure in the flesh tones.
Cost calculator
Lot 12Sale 18875
Portrait of Princess Maria Clementina Sobieska (1702-1735), wife of 'The Old Pretender', bust-length, in a gold dress and blue ermine-lined cloak, in a feigned ovalWILLIAM MOSMAN (C. 1700-1771 ABERDEEN) Estimate: GBP 10,000 - 15,000
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