William Parry (Denbighshire 1742-1791 London) Portrait of a gentleman in a red coat and white cravat pastel on laid paper, oval 36 x 26.5cm (14 3/16 x 10 7/16in). framed: 46 x 37cm with six other portraits of gentlemen by the same hand, all believed to be members of the Cycle of the White Rose, and two tondo photographic reproductions of Cycle papers listing names of meeting attendees (9) Footnotes: Literature M.W.Cato, The Life and Works of William Parry ARA (1743-1791), pp. 51-53, four of the group of seven ill. p.61, pl. 21-24 The Cycle of the White Rose was a society of Welsh Jacobites founded in 1710 by Watkin Williams, later Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 3rd baronet, as a vehicle for the support among Welsh gentry for the Stuart dynasty. Later in the century it lost much of its political purpose and its gatherings became more of a social occasion for the significant families living in the area of Wynnstay, the seat of the Williams Wynn family. Meetings were held monthly in a rotation of their homes and the Cycle papers were drawn up in the form of a wheel with names of attendees and dates radiating out from the centre, as shown in the two facsimiles included in the present lot. This format had the function of disguising the purpose of these lists which was a necessity to protect supporters in the earlier days of the Jacobite cause. The present collection of pastel portraits is part of a group of 14 commissioned by Owen Wynne who also charged Parry with making a number of monochrome portraits of his family, and although the sitters of these coloured works are not identified, they were almost certainly attendees at a Cycle meeting held at Wynne's home on 2 July 1770. Parry was born in London of Welsh parents and for a time trained in Reynolds's studio. He later enjoyed the patronage of the Welsh gentry and with the support of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn he travelled to Italy later in 1770 and remained there for five years. His most celebrated work is the group portrait of Omai, Sir Joseph Banks and Dr Daniel Solander (now jointly owned by the National Portrait Gallery, London, the National Museum, Cardiff and the Captain Cook Memorial Museum, Whitby). For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing