British School, Mid-18th Century
Portrait of a Young Gentleman
circa 1750
pastel on paper laid to board
unsigned
label affixed to verso reads Sept.14 1966 / Oliver Millar thought that this picture was painted 1740-1750 and that the painter might be [Mary] Hoare or Catherine Read.
19 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches.

Provenance:
Wilkins and Wilkins, London, 1997;
Ryman and Co., London.

The verso inscription likely refers to Sir Oliver Nicholas Millar (British, 1923-2007), a Courtauld scholar and art historian of seventeenth-century British art, specializing in court portraiture and royal iconography. He served in the Royal Household for 41 years beginning in 1947, becoming Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures in 1972. Catherine Read (British, 1723-1778) and Mary Hoare (British, c. 1753 - 1820) were both active during the time period in question, with Read, in particular, specializing in portraits of the British aristocracy.

Framed: 22 x 20 1/2 inches.
The work has been laid to board and there are ripples to the sheet due to lifting from the board. Areas of minor abrasions and some shifting of the pastel pigment.  Areas of discoloration from water damage along the lower edge of the frame.  Few small areas of tears or lifting to the paper. The foxing and discoloration that exists to the back is a sheet of paper that is affixed to the board that the pastel is adhered to.