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Margaret Sarah Carpenter
Portrait of John Manners later 7th Duke of Rutland

1835

$5,310.22
£3,900
€4,755.89
CA$7,540.37
A$7,720.33
CHF 4,384.93
MX$98,732.73
NOK 50,441.22
SEK 52,415.11
DKK 35,550.83

About the Item

Margaret Sarah Carpenter 1793-1872, was an English portrait painter. She was one of the foremost portrait painters in the 19th Century, she exhibited at the Royal Academy, British Institution and the Suffolk Steet Gallery. She also painted over 100 Eton School leavers portraits of which this is one, they were mostly painted on Davey panels, this picture bears the stamp of Davey which would have been from 83 Newman Street London. There is another portrait of John Manners which was painted later and the image of him carrying a shotgun, the conclusion to the research regarding this painting is that Carpenter's painting was too realistic and probably not to the clients liking and consequently another painting was commissioned, hence the shotgun image, which we believe to be out of keeping with a school portrait. The picture was discovered in Sussex and the research conclusion is that it was once the property of Bernard Cecil Manners the son of the portrait enclosed and was disposed of after his demise which was in Sussex in 1945. The picture then lay undiscovered for some 60 years. This picture is unsigned but has been recognised by a number of experienced academics and auctioneer. I have enclosed an alternative biography of the painter for your interest. Margaret Sarah Carpenter (née Geddes; 1 February 1793 – 13 November 1872) was one of the most successful and prolific British portrait painters of the 19th century. Over her highly distinguished career, she produced more than 1,000 oil paintings, exhibited 156 works at the prestigious Royal Academy, and became widely regarded as the natural artistic successor to Sir Thomas Lawrence. Despite the rigid social and institutional barriers faced by women in the Victorian era, she established a thriving, independent portrait practice that supported her family and earned her national acclaim. Born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, Margaret was the daughter of Captain Alexander Geddes, an army officer, and Harriet Easton. Her exceptional gift for drawing emerged during childhood, and she initially received basic instructions from a local Salisbury drawing master named Thomas Guest. Her true artistic education, however, came from studying the classics. Jacob Pleydell-Bouverie, the 2nd Earl of Radnor, took note of her talent and granted her open access to his private gallery at Longford Castle. By age 12, she was teaching herself the trade by meticulously copying Old Master paintings. Recognizing her immense potential, Lord Radnor provided financial backing to help her move to London in 1813 to launch a professional career. Upon arriving in London, her talent was immediately recognized by the Society of Arts. Awarded a medal for her study of a boy's head, 1812, and she received a second talent medal. She also won the Society’s highest gold medal accolade. In 1814, at just 21 years old, she debuted at the Royal Academy with a portrait of Mrs. Sparkes. She quickly earned a reputation as a highly fashionable portraitist. Around 1815, she became a pupil of Sir Thomas Lawrence, the leading portrait painter in Britain. Following Lawrence's death in 1830, she inherited much of his stylistic mantle. While she captured the rich lighting and depth of Lawrence's work, critics noted that her style brought a unique, delicate, and wistful touch to her sitters, making her especially celebrated for her expressive portraits of women and children. In October 1817, Margaret married William Hookham Carpenter, an art dealer, bookseller, and publisher who would later become the Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum. The couple had eight children, though sadly only five survived infancy. Balancing heavy domestic responsibilities with a demanding creative profession was difficult. She even ran her active painting studio directly out of the Keeper's residence at the British Museum. Remarkably, three of her children—including her son William and daughter Henrietta—inherited her creative talents and grew up to become painters in their own right. Carpenter painted many notable figures of the early Victorian era. Among her most famous historical portraits is her 1835 depiction of the brilliant mathematician Ada Lovelace, which remains one of the few iconic images of Lovelace in existence. She was also commissioned for an extensive series of Eton College school leavers. Despite exhibiting a stunning 263 works across the Royal Academy and the British Institution over five decades, Carpenter was repeatedly barred from joining the Royal Academy solely because of her gender. Her exclusion sparked public indignation, and contemporary publications like the Art Journal heavily criticized the Academy for "studiously ignoring the existence of women artists". Following her husband's death in 1866, Queen Victoria granted Carpenter an annual pension of £100, acknowledging both her husband's institutional service and her own immense merit as an artist. Carpenter passed away in London on 13 November 1872 at the age of 79. While she was a household name during her lifetime, her legacy faded from mainstream art history into the 20th century. However, recent decades have seen a significant revival of interest in her work. Today, her paintings are preserved in prestigious public collections, including the National Portrait Gallery, the Tate, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
  • Creator:
    Margaret Sarah Carpenter (1793 - 1872)
  • Creation Year:
    1835
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)Width: 13 in (33.02 cm)Depth: 2.5 in (6.35 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Douglas, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: No. 751stDibs: LU2373215360892

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