
Poppy Harvey-Jones
Head of Sale
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£7,000 - £10,000
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Head of Sale
Provenance
Commissioned by John, 1st Earl Ashburnham circa 1729
Thence by family descent until sold by order of the Trustees of the Ashburnham Estates, Sotheby's, 15 July 1953, lot 110 (bt. by Lord Wilton for £50)
Sale, Sotheby's, London, 16 July 1986, lot 50
This double portrait displays the tenderness and intimacy between two half siblings. Lady Henrietta Ashburnham was the eldest daughter of John Ashburnham, 1st Earl of Ashburnham and his second wife, Henrietta, Dowager Countess of Anglesey and 4th Baroness Strange; her half brother, John Asburnham, was the only son of John Ashburnham and his third wife, Lady Gemima Grey. John succeeded his father in 1737; he was appointed Lord of the Bedchamber to King George II in 1748 where he enjoyed the privilege of assisting the king with his dressing, waiting on the king when he dined privately, and serving as one of the king's main companions. He also served as the Keeper of Hyde Park and St James's Park in London from 1753 to 1762. During the reign of King George III, he was appointed Master of the Great Wardrobe and, subsequently, Groom of the Stole. he married Elizabeth Crowley, the daughter and co-heiress of John Crowley, a wealthy merchant. Together, they would spend almost thirty years together and had six children.