An oil painting by one of the greatest English portrait painter, Joshua Reynolds, which was thought to have disappeared, has turned up in the Driffield area.
Experts had been unable to trace the painting - which is of the artist’s friend, the Irish playwright Arthur Murphy - for decades.But it is now about to go under the hammer at Dee Atkinson Harrison auctioneers on September 16 with an estimated value of between £30,000 and £50,000.The auctioneers say the painting, created during the 1770s, has been in private ownership in the area.In spite of it being part of a famous collection, the painting did not feature in a current Tate Britain Exhibition, Joshua Reynolds: The Creation of Celebrity.Dee Atkinson Harrison saleroom manager, Pippa Whiteley, said: “We contacted various experts and they knew of the painting’s existence but had no idea where it was. It is a beautiful painting and the quality of the brush strokes is fabulous.”This is a really exciting discovery, particularly at the time when the Tate Britain is going on.”The painting, Streatham Worthy, was commissioned by Henry and Hester Thrale, who had a great interest in arts and literature and entertained eminent celebrities of their time.Their closest friend was Murphy (1727-1805), a playwright, barrister, actor and journalist, who wrote a series of highly successful plays which made him a fortune. Sir Joshua was commissioned to paint many of the Thrales’ circle of friends, including the author, Samuel Johnson.It was sold to the art dealer and agent Arthur Sulley, in 1917, who passed it to a Mr Rolston-Mitchell, then by descent to the current vendor.

Posted: 08|24|05 at 9:46 am. Filed under: UK News.