About this lot

Description

English School, circa 1744 Family group of portrait miniatures of Mary Orlebar (1730-1821), Richard Orlebar (1736-1803) aged 8 and Constantia Orlebar (1739-1808) aged 5 inscribed with the sitters' identities and ages to the reverse, one inscribed with date 1744 plumbago on vellum 8.5 x 6cm, together with another miniature said to be of Mary Orlebar's friend, Miss Hacks (4) Provenance: By descent from the sitters to the present owner The sitters in the present miniatures were born at Hinwick House, three of the five children of John Orlebar (1697-1765) of Hinwick, Bedforshire, and his wife Mary. At the death of their father, the unmarried sisters Mary (1730-1821) and Constantia (1739-1808), along with Elizabeth (1732-1810) who is not depicted here, moved to Ecton, Northamptonshire. The sisters had an active interest in literary matters and left behind many private writings, including Mary’s travel diaries and poems, and perhaps most notably Constantia’s Weather Book, an important chronicle in which she recorded daily weather from 1786 until her death (see Gordon Manley, ‘Constantia Orlebar's Weather Book, 1786-1808’, in Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, v. 81, 1955, 622-5). An attribution to James Ferguson (1710-1776) might be considered. Light surface dirt and fly spots under glass. Slight undulations to the vellum observed in Mary's portrait, commensurate with age. Constantia's portrait - there appear to be very minor foxing spots in her sleeve and face and slight abrasion to her neck. Not examined out of frames. The frames are as per images with slight separation. Miss Hacks' portrait - There is some staining and toning along the edges. The frame is broken.

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