Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Bt (1746-1819), The Reverend William Heathcote and Major Vincent Hawkins Gilbert, out hunting
Daniel Gardner (Kendal c.1750 - London 1805)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1790
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
2007 x 1549 mm (79 x 61 in)
Order this imageCollection
Montacute House, Somerset
NT 597927
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Bt (1746-1819), The Reverend William Heathcote and Major Vincent Hawkins Gilbert, out hunting by Daniel Gardner (Kendal 1750 – London 1805), 1790. Portraits of three men in hunt livery set in a crowded composition. Major Vincent Hawkins Gilbert (centre) is three-quarter length, facing, head turned slightly to the right, holding a fox's head (mask) by its left ear in his right hand, a whip under his left arm he wears a pink coat with black velvet collar and fawn leather breeches, white stock, powdered hair, black top hat and fawn leather gloves - perhaps Master of Fox Hounds. To his right stands Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Bt (1746-1819), leaning with his right arm against a chestnut horse which is turned to the left but head turned to the right his left arm is on his hip and holds a riding whip. He is also dressed in a pink riding coat with a black velvet collar, fawn leather breeches white stock, powdered hair beneath black top hat and fawn leather gloves. His son the Reverend William Heathcote, is riding on horseback on the left, leaning down as though addressing the other two, holding the reins in his left hand which also holds a whip and gestures to the left with his right hand. He is dressed in a blue coat with gilt buttons, fawn breeches, white stock, black top hat and grey gloves, his horse is sniffing at the fox's head as is a small dog, bottom left whose legs are resting against the right leg of the central figure. The background is composed of a gnarled tree on the right with a distant landscape with cloudy sky on the left. Aguably th emasterpice in olis of this artist, who narmally worked on a smaller scale in gouache and pastels.
Provenance
In a manuscript inventory of the Heathcote pictures, Hursley Park, 1843 (no.9 in hall; Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Gilbert Redvers Heathcote, 8th Bt., Bighton Wood, Alresford, Hampshire (1924–d. 1937); (Heathcote Estate/Heirlooms) sale, Christie's, 27 May 1938, lot 24 (bought, Gooden and Fox, for 310 gns); sold to Ernest Cook (1865 - 1955), who presented it to Montacute in 1947
Credit line
Montacute House, The Ernest Cook Colection (The National Trust)
Makers and roles
Daniel Gardner (Kendal c.1750 - London 1805), publisher
References
Williamson 1921: George Charles Williamson, Daniel Gardner, London 1921, pp.28 (illus), 104. Grundy 1921 C. R. Grundy, 'Daniel Gardner', Connoisseur lix, 1921 , p.84 Waterhouse 1994 Ellis K. Waterhouse, Painting in Britain 1530-1790, Pelican History of Art, Harmondsworth, [1st Pub.1953], 1994 ed., p.246. "It has even been suggested that Gardner was Reynolds's assistant towards the close of his life. His first practice was in crayons, and in a letter of 12 November 1779 he describes the portrait of Philip Egerton as 'absolutely the first oil picture I ever painted". Certain early oil portraits of the Pennington family (personal friends of Gardner) which have passed through the auction rooms in recent years, suggest that, although technically far from accomplished, he was capable of a vein of tender and romantic sentiment in this medium which is surprising. His masterpiece in oil, the 'Heathcote Hunting Group' belonging to the National Trust and exhibited at Montacute, is based on Reynolds's latest style, but retains, as always with Gardner, something of the effect of having been painted on a rough towel. This roughness of texture he evidently valued, for he carried it over into his pastels. These are technically highly original, for Gardner mixed brandy or spirits of wine with his crayons, which had been scraped to dust with a knife, and drew with this highly loaded preparation." Abbot Hall Art Gallery, Daniel Gardner 1750-1805, 1962, No.2 Gore 1969: F. St John Gore, 'Pictures in National Trust Houses', supplement to Burlington Magazine, Vol.cxi, No.793. April 1969, pp.239-58, p.248 Montacute House, Somerset (Montacute, Nr. Yeovil) Ownership: Pictures given with the house by Mr Cook, 1931. .. Gardner, D. Sir William Heathcote, Rev. William Heathcote and Major Gilbert 79 x 61." Daniel Gardner, Kenwood, Helen Kapp, exh. cat., Arts Council, 16 May - 26 June, 1972, "13. Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Bt., his son the Rev. William Heathcote and Major V. Hawkins Gilbert. Oil on canvas, 79 x 61 in. Coll. Heathcote Collection, Hursley Park, Heathcote sale, Christie, 17th May, 1938 (24); bt. Gooden & Fox; Ernest Cook, who presented it to the National Trust for Montacute House. Lit. Williamson, pp.28 (illus), 104: Grundy Connoisseur, LLX, 1921, p.84, rep; E.K.Waterhouse, Painting in Britain, 1953, p.246. Exh. Daniel Gardner, Abbott Hall Art Gallery, Kendal, 1962 (2) Lent by the National Trust, Montacute House." "He did not start using oil until 1779. It was not a medium in which he held he could express himself as well as in eithr of the other two, and his successes seem related to his interest in his sitters. The self-portrait with his son, the Pennington portraits, either adults or children, the Heathcote portraits in oil and a few others, all have a sincerity, passion and distinction, not to be found in many others." Waterhouse 1981 Ellis K. Waterhouse, The Dictionary of British 18th-century Painters in oils and crayons, Woodbridge 1981 , p.141, illus. Caption to illustration: DANIEL GARDNER. 'Rev. Thomas Heathcote, Major Vincent Hawkins Gilbert, and Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Bt (1746-1819)' 79 ins x 61 ins, Montacute House (National Trust). One of a considerable number of portraits painted by Gardner for the Heathcote family - which were amonghis most considerable works in oils." "He did not employ oils until 1779, and then not often- mainly in groups of portraits of the Pennington family (who were family friends and whose children's portraits show remarkable tenderness of feeling) and of the Heathcote family (sold 27.5.1938). His oils have an odd rough texture, as if painted on towels. He was friendsly with Constable." Montacute House, Somerset, 1991 [The National Trust; Malcolm Rogers] 1991, p.60. "THE DRAWING ROOM PAINTINGS Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Bt. (1746-1819), The Rev. William Heathcote, and Major Vincent Hawkins Gilbert out Hunting. A crowded composition of three men in hunt livery. Major Gilbert (centre), holding a fox's mask, wears a pink coat and was evidently the Master of Fox Hounds; Sir William (right ) in pink, his son the Rev. William (on horseback) in blue. Arguably the masterpiece in oils of this artist, who normally worked on a smaller scale in gouache and pastels. (Cook bequest) Daniel Gardner (1750?-1805), c.1790." Montacute House, Somerset, 1997 [The National Trust; Malcolm Rogers] 1991, revised 1997 , p.59. "THE DRAWING ROOM PAINTINGS Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Bt. (1746-1819), The Rev. William Heathcote, and Major Vincent Hawkins Gilbert out Hunting. A crowded composition of three men in hunt livery. Major Gilbert (centre), holding a fox's mask, wears a pink coat and was evidently the Master of Fox Hounds; Sir William (right ) in pink, his son the Rev. William (on horseback) in blue. Arguably the masterpiece in oils of this artist, who normally worked on a smaller scale in gouache and pastels. (Cook bequest) Daniel Gardner (1750?-1805), c.1790." Montacute House, Somerset, 2004-2006 [The National Trust; Malcolm Rogers] 2000, revised 2004, reprinted 2005, 2006, p.47. "THE DRAWING ROOM PAINTINGS Sir William Heathcote, 3rd Bt. (1746-1819), The Rev. William Heathcote, and Major Vincent Hawkins Gilbert out Hunting. A crowded composition of three men in hunt livery. Major Gilbert (centre), holding a fox's mask, wears a pink coat and was evidently the Master of Fox Hounds; Sir William (right ) in pink, his son the Rev. William (on horseback) in blue. Arguably the masterpiece in oils of this artist, who normally worked on a smaller scale in gouache and pastels. (Cook bequest) Daniel Gardner (1750?-1805), c.1790."