137
800Years IrishPolitical, Literary&MilitaryHistory - 15thApril2014
374
[Gregory, LadyAugusta, (1852 - 1932)
Poet, Playwright andLiteraryFigure]
Relevanttothiscorrespondence isthat in late2011a losttreasurewasfound inthediscoveryofaVelasquez
portrait.Thepiecehadbeenacquired forauctionbyBonhams.Theyhavepublished thedetailsofhow the
attributionwasmade,perhaps themostprominent rolebeinganIrishone-DrPeterCherryofTCD.This
collectionofdocumentsalsoconcernsattemptstoverifyaVelasquez.Thekeyroleinthisinstanceisthatof
LadyGregorywhohasassembledprofessionalopinions fromthe leadingexperts,whichshecommentson
inadetailedALStotheownerofthepainting,herbrother in law,MrAWaitmanofMoynePark inGalway.
Theother letters (sixALSs) concernapainting, supposedlyby the17th-centurySpanishartistVelasquez
- whether or not it is aVelasquez, the possibility of selling and exhibiting it andwhat it would fetch at
sale. The opinions of the experts vary. HenryTaylor of ChristieManson andWood states that bothhe
andMrWoodofChristie’sconsider it tobeanearlyworkbyVelasquez. Sir J.C. Robinson,Keeperof the
QueensAntiquities, alsowrites that he considers it an earlyworkbyVelasquez but that it doesn’t carry
entireconviction.He thinks itwouldbeagood idea toput it inanexhibition so that it couldbeviewedby
awider audience.AlecMartin (Larkin?)OfChristieMansonandWood isof theopinion that thepaint-
ing is not byVelasquez himself. Sir FrederickBurton, Director of theNational Gallery, London, is un-
sure, butdoesnot think it isavery saleablepicture.ClaudePhillips,HMSurveyorofPictureswrites that
he does not think that it is byVelasquez, but that it is undoubtedly 17th century Spanish. These letters
are all present and are obviously replies to LadyGregory’s enquiries. The letter from LadyGregory to
MrWaitmandiscusses someof theseopinions and thepossibilities in sellingandexhibiting thepicture.
This extraordinary correspondence among experts is indicative of howworks of art are attributed to
particular artists. The value here is inLadyGregory’s central role and the prominence and reputations
of thosewithwhom shewas having thedebate.A fascinating collection.
€250 - 350
375 PRESENTATIONCOPYFROMSIR JOSHUAREYNOLDSPRA
CharlesAlphonseDuPresnoy, translatedbyWilliamMarsh
“TheArtofPainting”,York [A.Ward], 1783, 4to,withmanuscript inscription“ToLadyYates,withSir
Joshua Reynolds Com”, contemporarymottled calf, spine gilt-tooled in compartments, gilt lettered,
crimsonmorocco label
€1000 - 2000
