Bonhams 1793 : George Engleheart (British, 1750-1829) Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Grey (1770/1-1797), wearing the uniform of the 12th Regiment of Foot, scarlet coatee with buff coloured facings, gold epaulettes, white cross belt, the belt plate with Royal Insignia GR, white waistcoat, frilled white chemise and black stock, his hair powdered

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Grey (1770/1-1797), wearing the uniform of the 12th Regiment of Foot, scarlet coatee with buff coloured facings, gold epaulettes, white cross belt, the belt plate with Royal Insignia GR, white waistcoat, frilled white chemise and black stock, his hair powdered.
Gold frame, the reverse glazed to reveal plaited hair.
Oval, 73mm (2 7/8in) high
Provenance: H. Gordon Bois; Sotheby's, 27 March 1947, lot 127
Sotheby's, 20 January 1975, lot 47
Christie's, 23 March 1982, lot 299
Purchased in 1987
Exhibited: Portrait Miniatures from the Merchiston Collection, Scottish National Portrait Gallery, 23 September – 11 December 2005, no.37
Literature: Stephen Lloyd, Exhibition Catalogue, 2005, p.66

Sold for £25,200 inc. premium

Footnotes

There are two other versions of the present lot known to exist. One, sold Sotheby's, 4 June 1973, lot 65 bears a later added cursive E signature. Another, sold Christie's, 2 June 1970, lot 64, The Property of Mr H. Goodwin, was inscribed on the reverse "Thomas Grey ob. Cape of Good Hope, 17 Jany. 1797". The latter is most likely one of the two versions listed in Engleheart's fee book for 1797 - posthumous copies desired by his family. Gray also appears in Engleheart's fee book for 1796. Given that the present lot shows a little more detail of the epaulettes than either of the other versions, it is probable that it is the 1796 original version. See G.C. Williamson & H.L.D. Engleheart, George Engleheart, 1750-1829, Miniature Painter to George III, 1902, App.I, p.98.

Thomas Grey was the fourth son of Sir Charles Grey (1729-1807), 1st Earl Grey. He is listed as Major in 85th Foot, 23 January 1796 and Lieutenant-Colonel in 12th Foot, 30 January 1796 (on transfer from 85th Foot). He served at Cape Town, where he was struck down by a life-threatening disease. On 18 February 1797 the Duke of York wrote to Grey's father that he had received a letter from an officer at Cape Town, dated 12 December 1796 saying that although he had been terribly ill, his son was much improved and that the surgeons were optimistic about his recovery. However, he died shortly after, aged 26, his parents receiving the news in April 1797.

Category: Fine Art / Portrait Miniatures

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