Portrait study of a man, head and shoulders only, facing slightly to the right, identified as a study of a portrait of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, after a mezzotint engraving by John Faber Junior, after a painting by Thomas Hudson. He wears a white neckcloth, decorated waistcoat, and coat. His shoulder-length hair (probably a wig) is curled. Inscribed on the verso, above the foot (handwritten in black chalk): 'Jos. Wright fecit [illegible] 31st 1751 / Sr. Watkin Williams Wynn'. On the verso is a study of a foot, after the Antique. Made by Joseph Wright of Derby (1734 - 1797), after John Faber Junior (died 1756), after Thomas Hudson (1701-1779), 1751. Black and white chalk on blue paper, in cream window mount.

Exhibitions:

  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby, 1734-1797: Bicentenary Exhibition
    Venue: Wallis, Jane
    Dates: from 21/06/1997 to 28/09/1997

Publications

  • Title: Joseph Wright of Derby 1734 - 1797
    Sub-Title: An introduction to the work of Joseph Wright of Derby with a catalogue of drawings held by Derby Museum and Art Gallery. Published on the occasion of an exhibition commemorating the Bicentenary of the artist's death.
    Author: Wallis, Jane
    Published Place: Derby
    Published Year: 1997

Related People

  • Joseph Wright of Derby (Artist)

    Display Date: British, 1734 - 1797

    Nationality: British

    Biography: Artist.

  • John Faber Junior (After)

    Display Date: Dutch, died 1756

    Nationality: Dutch

    Biography: Engraver; painter of portrait miniatures.

  • Thomas Hudson (After)

    Display Date: British, 1701 - 1779

    Nationality: British

  • Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, 3rd Baronet (Content)

    Display Date: British-Welsh, 1692 - 1749

    Nationality: British-Welsh

    Biography: Politician; landowner; Jacobite (implicated in the Jacobite Rising of 1745).

Recto: Study of a Portrait of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, after John Faber Junior, after Thomas Hudson

Date: 1751

Medium: Black and white chalk on blue paper.

Object Type:Drawing
Dimensions:Support: 391 × 302 mm (15 3/8 × 11 7/8 in.)
Description:Inscription to verso (recorded as reading May 1751 by Jane Wallis, but no longer legible) reveals that this is the earliest dated drawing in this archive (1996-1), presumably made as soon as Wright joined Hudson's studio in summer 1751. Made after John Faber Junior, after Thomas Hudson (identified by Ellen Miles and Leger Galleries Ltd. See correspondence and notes in catalogue file for the DBYMU 1996-1 group of drawings). Hudson appears to have made at least three portraits of Watkin Williams Wynn, one in which he wears an embroidered waistcoat (c.1734-1740); one in which he wears a plain white, satin waistcoat; and a reduced size version of the latter inscribed '1740' (now in the collection of the National Museum of Wales: accession number NMW A 104). Wright's study follows the first (and earlier?) of these two portraits in showing a hint of the embroidered waistcoat. Given the date of Wright's study, it seems unlikely that he would have worked from the oil painting, which we assume was then with the sitter's family, but from John Faber Junior's mezzotint of it, which was published in c.1740-1756. Example of this mezzotint in NPG collection (D8959). Ellen Miles notes that 'the pattern of line and shadow' suggests that it was copied from the print rather than the painting and would also explain how Wright could have made the drawing two years after the death of the sitter (1749). See correspondence and notes in catalogue file for the DBYMU 1996-1 group of drawings. [LB: 2024]
Inscriptions:Inscribed on the verso, above the foot (handwritten in black chalk): 'Jos. Wright fecit [illegible] 31st 1751 / Sr. Watkin Williams Wynn'.
Provenance:…; with the Stafford family; with Agnew’s in 1991 and 1992; bought by Leger Galleries(?), from whom purchased by Derby Museums in 1995.
Viewing Status:Contact Us
Item Ref:1996-1/95A
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Browse Collection