About this lot

Description

James Holmes Jnr. (fl. 1836-1859)

Portrait miniature of Mary Jane Perceval (d.1899) later Lady Matheson, wearing a tartan dress with flowers at her corsage, a gold bracelet on her right forearm, her hair in ringlets and dressed with red fuchsias
watercolour on ivory, oval
6.4cm

Provenance:
By family descent from the sitter,
Their sale, Bonhams, London, 18th November 2003, lot 142, as one of 'Nine portraits of the grandchildren of Spencer Perceval, the children of Michael Henry Perceval';
Bonhams, London, 25th May 2011, lot 89, together with another of the sitter's brother (see lot 345), when acquired by the late Barry Lock (1934-2021)

Mary Jane was the fourth daughter of Michael Henry Perceval (1779-1829) and Anne Mary Flower (1790-1876) daughter of Sir Charles Flower, Lord Mayor of London. A number of the sitter's siblings were also painted by James Holmes Junior (see Provenance; see lots 345 and 346).

She married in 1843 Sir James Matheson (1798-1878), one of the co-founders of the Jardine-Matheson company. After the East India Company lost its monopoly on trade with China, Jardine-Matheson sent the first private shipments of tea to England in 1834. Following his marriage, Matheson purchased the Isle of Lewis for over half a million pounds in 1844 where he built Lews Castle. In 1851, he settled on the island with Mary Jane and was made a baronet that same year. Matheson served as MP for Ashburton from 1843 to 1852 and for Ross and Cromarty from 1852 to 1868. The Mathesons had no children, so when Sir James died, the baronetcy became extinct, and Mary Jane remained on the estate caring for her mother.

This item is offered for sale in accordance with the Ivory Act 2018 and has been assigned an exemption certificate, Ref. No. B6D7P684.

Back to lot listings