Design for Lord Portarlington's House in Ireland c. 1780
Pen, watercolour and bodycolour | 20.5 x 31.8 cm (sheet of paper) | RCIN 914708
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A pen and watercolour drawing of a front elevation of a domed building with an open colonnade on the first floor. The building has a portico of round arches above, three niches with urns, statues and reliefs at the sides. Some figures in the foreground and trees behind. Mounted on a pink and grey wash-line bordered mount of a type similar to those used by Paul Sandby. Inscribed on the modern mount, on the verso, 'Design for Lord Portarlington's House in Ireland'. Inscribed and mounted in a similar manner to RCINs 914591, 914676 and 914707. The drawing is probably an unrealised design for Lord Portarlington. Paul Sandby held Sunday afternoon meetings at his house at St George's Row. James Gandon, the architect, mentions the Earl of Portarlington as one of the regular attendees (Mulvaney, Life of James Gandon, 1843, p. 24). A letter of 1783 from Sandby to Gandon describes the Earl as 'full of building temples, but with insufficient income to meet his taste and love of the fine arts'.
Provenance
Probably purchased by George IV when Prince of Wales at Colnaghi (1 guinea), 3 July 1811 (Archives Invoice 27640)
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Medium and techniques
Pen, watercolour and bodycolour
Measurements
20.5 x 31.8 cm (sheet of paper)
26.4 x 38.1 cm (mount)
Other number(s)
RL 14708