Completed Portraits: British 18th C 13 When was this portrait painted?

Thomas (c.1705–1766), Lord Erskine, Son of John, 6th Earl of Mar
Topic: Execution date

Is the date of execution known for this painting?

The collection comments: ‘We do not have the exact date it was painted, but the boy looks 10–15 years old, which narrows it down to 1715–1720; this fits with Charles Jervas's dates. For reference on this, there is a younger portrait of Thomas (pictured with his father, the 6th Earl), by Godfrey Kneller – here Thomas looks about five. The Kneller painting hasn't been precisely dated either, so finding this out might help us pin down dates for both portraits.’

The other portrait is Godfrey Kneller, ‘John Erskine, 6th Earl of Mar (1672–1732), with His Son Thomas, Lord Erskine (1705–1766)’, National Trust for Scotland, Alloa Tower, on loan from the Earl of Mar and Kellie.
https://bit.ly/2x7RgPT

Annabel White, Entry reviewed by Art UK

Completed, Outcome

This discussion is now closed. A likely execution date of c.1715 has been recorded.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the discussion. To anyone viewing this discussion for the first time, please see below for all the comments that led to this conclusion.

12 comments

Jacinto Regalado,

No doubt the misattribution and/or misidentification problem persists, Kieran, as becomes increasingly clear with increasing familiarity with entries on ArtUK.

Jacinto Regalado,

As for this picture, I'd say the boy looks younger, more like 8-12, despite the adult dress.

Kieran Owens,

The painting of John Erskine attributed to Godfrey Kneller, as described and linked to above, shows him with all of the robes, badges, chain, pendant and plumed chapeau of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle. This Order was revived by Queen Anne, as its second sovereign, on the 31st December 1703. Sir John Erskine, as the 23rd, 11th or 6th Earl of Mar, depending on the date from which you start counting, was nominated to and invested in the order on the 10th August 1706, when his son Thomas would have been about one year old. In 1715 he was attainted and all of his honours became fortified, after which he fled to France.

The Kneller painting shows his son Thomas as a boy of about five or six years of age, dating that painting to c.1710. This discussion's painting shows a young man of about 10 years old, dating it to c.1715. Would Charles Jervas, or any other possible artist, have painted Thomas Erskine at any later date, given the bad fortune of his father in that fateful year?

Interestingly, there is no mention of Thomas Erskine or the Earl of Mar in Caroline Pegum's University of Birmingham Master of Philosophy thesis entitled 'The Artistic & Literary Career of Charles Jervas (c.1675 - 1739)'.

https://bit.ly/2MqQ8eN

Perhaps there is some reference to the painting in the 1739 published edition of "A Catalogue of the Most Valuable Collection of Pictures, Prints, and Drawings, Late of Charles Jarvis (sic) Esq., Deceased, Principal Painter to Their Majesties King George I and II: Which Will Begin to be Sold by Auction (by Order of the Executrix and Trustees), on Tuesday the 11th of March, 1739-40, at His Late Dwelling-house in Cleveland Court, St. James's....". Anyone with access to this publication might like to check if there is a listing of the painting therein.

Jacob Simon,

We are asked, “When was this portrait painted?” My immediate reaction was 1720s but I don’t have a problem with the 1710s as suggested in this discussion.

As to the artist, I think the attribution to Charles Jervas has some credibility, despite the rather pedestrian quality of the portrait. The handling lacks Michael Dahl’s colour code and softness, it seems to me. Jervas was adept at giving his landscapes something of the poetic quality seen here, with greens and warm browns fading into the distance. If one has to make a comparison from the portraits attributed to Jervas on Art UK, then I would select Sharington Davenport (1708–1774) as a Boy, which also has very active enveloping drapery. John Campbell (1696–1782), 3rd Earl of Breadalbane, as a Child in Highland Costume, is another comparison.

Howard Jones,

Sorry, the painting above may not be by Dahl but is listed in the manner of Dahl.

Jacob Simon,

Returning to this after more than two years (and five years after the launch of the discussion), I stick with my earlier post (12/01/2022), summarised here.

DATE. We are asked, “When was this portrait painted?” My immediate reaction was 1720s but I don’t have a problem with the 1710s as suggested in this discussion. Say c.1715 as Kieran suggests (14/09/2018).

ARTIST. I think the attribution to Charles Jervas has some credibility, despite the rather pedestrian quality of the portrait. Jervas was adept at giving his landscapes something of the poetic quality seen here, with greens and warm browns fading into the distance. For comparisons with portraits attributed to Jervas on Art UK, see my earlier post.

Time to close this discussion?

Antonia Laurence-Allen, Regional Curator, National Trust for Scotland, has replied that she is happy with this summary and asks us to update and close the discussion.