Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
The sitter is thought to be Thomas Powys, 2nd Lord Lilford, born in 1775; educated at Eton, and St. John's College, Cambridge, he was a barrister, admitted to Lincoln's Inn in 1794. He married Henrietta Maria Vernon Atherton of Lancashire in 1797. She brought into the marriage Atherton Hall from her father and Bank Hall, (now abandoned and ruined), which had come to her mother, (nee Legh) from a first cousin, George Antony Legh-Keck.
Henrietta died in 1820, Thomas in 1825. They had 12 children. In 1861, the fifth son, Major the Honourable Henry Littleton Powys, added -Keck to his name by Royal Licence, which his descendants have retained. Henry had also inherited Stoughton Grange, Leicestershire (demolished 1925).
SIR WILLIAM BEECHEY RA FSA (1753-1839). He was born in Burford, Oxfordshire and entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1774.
After some years in London he moved to Norwich, then a very important city, where he enjoyed a good practice painting conversation pieces and life size portraits from c.1783. He returned to London in 1787 and worked from Brook Street; he became extremely successful and moved to Hill Street, Berkeley Square, then to Hanover Square and ultimately to Harley Street.
He was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1793, then RA in 1798 and was knighted in 1798 (the first artist to receive this honour since Reynolds).
Beechey was appointed Portrait Painter to Queen Charlotte in 1793 and by 1814 Portrait Painter to Her Majesty and to HRH the Duke of Gloucester.
SIZE: 34 x 28 inches including the frame.
PROVENANCE: by descent in the Powys-Keck family.
Then Private Collection, Aberdulais, Wales.
VERSO: two old labels: "Mrs. Powys-Keck. 17 June '35" and "Jordan & Cook Ltd. The Worthing Pantechnicon. Mrs. Powys-Keck. No.10. 13.7.65". Mrs Powys-Keck was living in Littlehampton, Sussex, at the beginning of this century.
(As a matter of interest this is the third Powys-Keck portrait I have bought in recent years, all bearing the same storage labels and numbered 14 and 15.)
Roy Precious - Antiques & Fine Art has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
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Portrait of Thomas Powys, Lord Lilford (?) C.1795; Studio or Circle of Sir William Beechey.
